Commerce Ministry Cracks Down on Shell Company Accounts, Links Welfare Card Holder Data to Combat Nominee Abuse

The Commerce Ministry, through the Department of Business Development, is advancing digital government initiatives to streamline services for citizens and businesses. The effort focuses on integrating corporate data across more than 320 government agencies to reduce paperwork and save 7.1 billion baht. From July 1, 2025, all government requests for corporate information will be processed digitally only, with no paper documents issued. The ministry is also implementing aggressive measures to block shell companies and identify nominees by integrating national databases. When shell company registrations from individuals begin to spread to corporate entities, applications will be immediately rejected. The ministry is cross-referencing state welfare card holder data—approximately 13.4 million people—to check if they are attempting to register as company nominees, preventing fraud or exploitation of low-income individuals' identities. Data integration includes tax records and criminal history checks, coordinated with the Revenue Department and the Police Cyber Crime Investigation Center. The ministry reviewed approximately 98,000 suspicious shell company names against a database of 980,000 corporate entities. Between January 1 and March 31, 2025, shell company registrations dropped dramatically from 578 the previous year to just 10. Eight basic data categories are now linked, including shareholder lists, company certificates, articles of association, and financial statements, which previously required citizens to obtain printed and certified copies from courts, police stations, land offices, or the Revenue Department. The benefits include speed, accuracy, and real-time data updates with greater transparency.