BANGKOK — Thai police have arrested a 44-year-old Chinese man accused of obtaining a Thai identification card through a vast document-fraud network that allegedly helped foreign nationals operate businesses illegally in the country.
The Crime Suppression Division took the suspect, identified as Yuan, into custody on Nov. 22 on a sidewalk outside a gold shop in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thien district. He was wanted under a warrant issued by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, Region 5, for allegedly aiding officials in abusing their authority.
Police said Yuan admitted buying the ID card for 1.5 million baht (about $46,300) to make it easier to conduct business in Thailand. The card listed him under a Thai name, Anuchit Phailinlert, though he remains a Chinese national and holds a Chinese passport. He told investigators that a broker approached him and offered to produce the document for about 300,000 yuan.
Yuan is the 25th suspect linked to a network that obtained Thai ID cards with a prefix code reserved for Thai citizens, authorities said.
The case is part of a widening probe triggered by the dismantling of an identity-fraud ring in Chiang Mai’s Wiang Haeng district.
Investigators say multiple government officials — including district chiefs, deputy district chiefs, village headmen and village chiefs — accepted bribes to issue permanent-residence certificates and grant citizenship to foreigners, primarily Chinese nationals running illegal businesses. The network also allegedly helped open nominee bank accounts.
Police say foreigners paid between 800,000 baht and more than 1 million baht ($24,700-30,800) each for the fraudulent documents.
Investigators are continuing to track additional suspects and assess the full scope of the corruption scheme.