Bangkok Governor Orders Audit of 50 Districts for Foreigners Misusing Pink ID Cards

Bangkok Governor Chatchatchai Sunthorpiyabutr announced a sweeping audit of all 50 districts to investigate cases of foreign nationals illegally obtaining household registration using pink ID cards—which are issued to foreigners rather than standard national ID cards—with identity numbers starting with 7. The investigation has identified multiple irregular practices, including cases where foreigners who had lived in Thailand and had children later left the country while their names remained on birth documents, which were then fraudulently used to establish household registrations and obtain fraudulent documentation. In one notable case in Din Daeng district, investigators found a single residence with approximately 40 to 45 people registered, raising serious red flags.

Following police involvement, four officials have been removed from their positions. The governor has ordered a comprehensive retroactive audit dating back more than a decade from 2560 (2017) across all district offices to identify similar irregularities. The deadline for initial findings has been accelerated to August 21, moved up from September 1. Investigators are specifically examining financial transactions between brokers and officials to detect bribery and corruption, with police assistance expected to expedite and deepen the investigation.

Governor Chatchatchai emphasized that the system should automatically alert officials when more than 15 people are registered at a single residence, but this safeguard appears to have failed in some cases. The recovery of financial evidence—such as payments between brokers and officials—would provide concrete proof of wrongdoing and enable the swift removal of corrupt personnel. The audit aims to trace connections between individuals and identify systemic vulnerabilities that allowed such fraud to occur across multiple district offices.