BANGKOK — Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said Friday that five companies registered by the children of Cambodian senator Kok An, who is wanted in Thailand on money-laundering and illegal gambling facilitation charges, show no signs of genuine business activity and may have been created as fronts.
Investigators said none of the firms were operating at their listed addresses and none had employees. Some had previously been active but have since ceased operations. One company rented space in a commercial building in Bangkok’s Sathorn district solely to receive parcels and mail, officials said.
The findings are part of a broader probe into the network of Chen Zhi, also known as Vincent, founder of Prince Holding Group. The United States has sanctioned Chen, several associated companies, and 43 foreign nationals — including Yim Leak, Benjamin Mauerberger and Kok An — for alleged involvement in transnational crime and online fraud.
The DSI is reviewing whether any of the 43 individuals have links to people, companies or business activities in Thailand. It has requested business registration records from the Department of Business Development and financial data from the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
If investigators determine that Thai-registered entities are being used as nominee structures or are tied to a transnational network, the cases could be escalated as special investigations under Thailand’s Foreign Business Act or related laws.
According to an internal memo, investigators have examined companies tied to Kok An and his three children — Juree Klongkitkol, Puchelin (Yulai) Klongkitkol and Kittisak Klongkitkol — in coordination with the Business Development Department. Initial checks showed that the children, who are now charged with fraudulent birth registrations, held director roles in about five service-sector firms.
A deeper review confirmed that most appear to be shell companies, with addresses in office buildings where no operations or staff were ever found.
One company in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, appeared to have once been active but is no longer operating. Another, an online recruitment firm registered in Sathorn, was found to have only borrowed space from another corporate entity and had no real office or personnel.
Investigators said the companies may have used “virtual office” arrangements common among startups that lack funds for staff or office space but require a credible address. Some businesses rent large spaces and subdivide them into virtual suites that exist only on paper, allowing clients to use prestigious building addresses without having physical offices. One of the companies linked to Kok An’s children used such an arrangement, the DSI said.
A DSI source said the lack of operations across all five firms raises concerns about possible money-laundering activities. It is also possible, the source said, that some businesses once operated legitimately but shut down after failing or after individuals connected to them moved abroad earlier this year.
Building owners told investigators they had never seen any staff or business activity from the companies in question.
Investigators noted that Kok An’s name does not appear on any of the firms’ director lists. Although he holds Thai permanent residency, he is not a naturalized Thai citizen, while his children have Thai nationality — a factor that may have made it easier to register businesses in their names, officials said.
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