Bangkok Governor Orders Crackdown on Birth Registration Fraud
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Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered strict enforcement of birth registration certification, vowing decisive action against any officials involved in "phantom father" corruption. On October 28 at the Irawat Phatthana Building, Bangkok Court 2 in Din Daeng, Governor Chadchart Sittiphan addressed the phantom father cases and civil registration corruption. Foreign women allegedly hired Thai men to register as fathers of children born in private hospitals. The Royal Thai Police arrested additional suspects on October 27 in cases dating from 2017-2020, totaling over 40 cases, mostly involving fathers who broke the law with the same Bangkok officials implicated. Consequently, processes have been tightened because the city acts as intermediary between hospitals bringing children for birth registration at district offices. Registration follows Department of Provincial Administration guidelines, but some officials may be corrupt, requiring decisive action. Currently, processes are more rigorous: checking how many wives a father has, identifying suspicious points, or conducting interviews for more thorough procedures. The governor confirmed arrest warrants target the same group of state officials. Regarding new measures requiring hospitals to report births at district offices, Chadchart stated that previously all hospitals had to submit documents to district offices per Interior Ministry regulations. However, for foreigners, national security concerns are now factored in, so service speed and convenience may not be the priority; security must accompany the process. Bangkok confirms it will comply with all regulations. Chadchart added that Bangkok must control officials' discretion since clear rules exist: how many registrations per father? If multiple, suspicion arises. If uncertainty remains, DNA testing may be required. Asked if rotating officials prevents corruption, Chadchart said it helps. A major rotation occurred last week; officials serving over 3-4 years are rotated to prevent over-familiarity and eliminate channels for corruption.
