Civil Registration Department Tightens Standards for Registry Work Nationwide, Emphasizing Careful, Transparent, and Fair Operations to Combat All Forms of Corruption
Thailand's Civil Registration Department held a nationwide coordination meeting to tighten standards and combat corruption in registry and national ID operations, introducing enhanced verification procedures for identity creation, marriage
On May 25, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the Civil Registration Department conference room on the 9th floor of Thanalongkorn Tower in Bangkok, the Civil Registration Department held a coordination meeting on registry and national ID card operations nationwide. Presided over by Nrucha Kosasiwilai, Director-General of the Civil Registration Department and Central Registrar, the meeting included deputy directors-general, registrars from all 50 Bangkok districts, provincial registrars, district registrars, and local registrars, along with registry staff nationwide participating via simultaneous online platform.
The Central Registrar stressed that registry work is not merely a public service function but the "vital core of national administration" and serves as a massive database (Big Data) used by all government ministries, departments, and agencies for policymaking, administrative management, and national security, requiring operations to be conducted with accuracy, carefulness, and maximum responsibility.
Simultaneously, he instructed all registry officials at every level to maintain a "Sense of Urgency" in exercising their duties, and to halt any unreasonable administrative actions in their review, approval, and authorization decisions within their respective jurisdictions. The key principle is implementing "Check & Balance" mechanisms and rigorous daily report verification, with supervisors sharing accountability.
The Civil Registration Department has issued directives on work practices under "4 key areas" to urgently prevent corruption loopholes:
1. Creating personal identities and adding foreign worker names (pink cards) must involve thorough verification of actual residential status to prevent identity fraud. 2. Cases of duplicate persons require enhanced scrutiny according to the Cabinet Resolution of October 29, 2024, which expedited nationality granting for minorities within 5 days, with measures to prevent rights abuse and document forgery. 3. Marriage registration must verify genuine relationships and cohabitation to prevent hired marriage schemes. 4. Complaint handling must not absolutely reject public submissions even if documents are incomplete; clarification, recording, and fair expedited processing must follow service-minded principles.
The Civil Registration Department has also developed three supporting systems to enhance efficiency and convenience:
1. Compilation of registry work practices and circulars from fiscal year 2024 to present for uniform nationwide standards. 2. Enhancement of the 1548 Call Center with additional staff and clearly separated service lines for officials inquiring about legal matters or computer systems, and for citizens inquiring about procedures or required documents. 3. An alert system through the ThaID application sending immediate warnings to district officers or district directors when detecting high-risk transactions such as name additions, first-time ID card issuance, or marriage to foreigners.
The Central Registrar further stated that while the public expects rapid service, every step must be executed correctly, transparently, and fairly, reiterating that "honest performance is the shield protecting officials." If officials perform correctly, the Civil Registration Department will fully support and protect them, but any bribery or corruption will face strict prosecution.
