Bangkok Removes One Official in Fake Birth Certificate Scam

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt chaired a meeting on July 23, 2025 to address registration fraud involving the issuance of false birth certificates to children of foreign mothers, falsely listing Thai men as fathers to obtain Thai nationality. The operation, dubbed 'Pho Thip,' affected 24 children confirmed to have been illegally registered, with one district-level official already dismissed. The governor confirmed that a fact-finding committee was established immediately upon discovery, with the deputy Bangkok governor overseeing efforts to coordinate with the Interior Ministry for nationality revocation and to identify at-risk cases, such as Thai fathers with multiple foreign wives. Authorities ordered all district offices to conduct detailed reviews, particularly investigating connections with private hospitals that allegedly sold packages for this scheme. Investigations revealed irregularities in six districts, with Bangkok to examine internal discipline and procedural controls, while deeper investigations into private hospitals will be handled by the Interior Ministry and the Royal Thai Police's forensic unit. Governor Chadchart emphasized that no one would be protected from punishment, as this fraud damages the national economy. Deputy Bangkok Administrator Thanit Tanbualee reported preliminary findings of problems in eight district offices beyond Thonburi, and noted that new measures will include stricter verification such as checking whether multiple children of a Thai father share the same foreign mother, with approvals to be given only by senior registry officials.