NONTHABURI — Thai immigration authorities arrested three Chinese nationals and one Myanmar national Friday for illegally selling Buddhist amulets at a shopping mall in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok.
Immigration officers raided the mall in the Ngamwongwan area around 1 p.m. December 12 following complaints that foreigners were operating amulet stalls without proper authorization.
At two stalls, officers found suspects openly buying and selling Thai amulets, including gold and silver amulet cases, while presenting themselves as experts in the religious items.
Two Chinese nationals — identified only by aliases as Ming, 35, and Zhang, 40 — were staying in Thailand on 60-day tourist visas but lacked work permits, authorities said.
A second stall was operated by another Chinese national using the alias Wang, who held a student visa but no work permit. Officers also detained a Myanmar worker at that stall, identified as Min Oo, 29, whose visa had expired and who also lacked work authorization. Authorities said Min Oo was working for Wang.
All three Chinese nationals were charged with working without authorization. The Myanmar national was charged with working without a permit and overstaying his visa. Wang faces an additional charge of employing a foreign national without proper documentation.
The suspects were transferred to Rattanathibet Police Station for prosecution.
Police Col. Suriya Puangsombat, investigation superintendent of Immigration Bureau Division 3 issued a warning to the public and potential offenders that such actions constitute working without authorization, an offense under the Royal Decree on Management of Foreign Workers. Penalties include fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht, and employers who hire foreign workers without authorization face fines from 10,000 to 100,000 baht.
After prosecution, the Immigration Bureau will exercise its authority to consider blacklisting individuals under immigration law.