DSI and DBD Intensify Crackdown on “Nominee” across Tourist Destinations in Koh Samui - Koh Phangan, Ready to Launch Nationwide Arrests

DSI and DBD Intensify Crackdown on “Nominee” across Tourist Destinations in Koh Samui - Koh Phangan, Ready to Launch Nationwide Arrests

            On Monday, May 11, 2026, Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Chanchai Likhitkanthasorn, Director of the Security Crime Bureau, discussed with Mr. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of the Department of Business Development (DBD) and relevant officials to set  cooperating guidelines for investigating and suppressing the foreign business with concealment or “Nominee” in important tourist attractions in Thailand, according to the directive from the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice to protect national interests and create business equality.

This conference resulted from the revealed insights from scanned business data in many tourist provinces showing a high risk of nominee businesses and complex structures, including complaints from local people that some groups of foreigners have gathered to exploit improper benefits from the country's resources and showing disregard for the law, causing distress to the local community. In response, both organizations jointly prepared guidelines to investigate nominee companies. Initially, it started with investigations in “Koh Samui” and “Koh Phangan,” Surat Thani Province, which are the first targets of proactive investigations. The officials used data from 11,426 companies to analyze and classify the risk levels into high, medium, and low in order to plan investigations systematically and effectively, starting with the high-risk group while opening complaint channels for local people. If any company’s behavior clearly constitutes nominee activities, the DSI and relevant organizations will expedite intensive and comprehensive investigations for the immediate prosecution of offenders, with strict enforcement and arrests, and are prepared to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law, while nominee inspection operations will be expanded to other important tourist attractions such as Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya, and Hua Hin.

The DSI therefore requests cooperation from the public. If witnesses have information about nominee business offenses, they can report the information to the DSI Hotline: 1202 or Chatbot @dsi.th to jointly protect the nation’s interests, create social equity, protect Thai entrepreneurs, and maintain the country’s economic stability in a sustainable manner.