Koh Phangan Raid Nets 22 Foreigners in Crackdown on 32 Nominee Companies, 40 Rai of Land Seized

At 6:00 AM on May 23, 2025, Deputy Police Chief Samran Nualma, directing the Center for Suppressing Cross-Border Criminals and Illegal Immigration, ordered Major General Nophsit Poolswadee to coordinate over 300 officers in launching Phase 2 of the operation to dismantle foreign nominee networks on Koh Phangan. The task force pursued 39 cases with 36 search warrants and 45 arrest warrants targeting various nationalities of foreign nationals accused of engaging in businesses prohibited to foreigners and illegally holding land. One notable case involved an Israeli national posing as a Thai shareholder while holding 8 plots of land (7.5 rai) valued at over 60 million baht, while also operating an unlicensed hotel. Phase 2 results were divided into two groups: the first comprised 32 clear nominee companies with 45 seized land plots (over 40 rai), 22 arrested foreigners, and damages exceeding 200 million baht; the second group consisted of 32 companies where foreign shareholding exceeded Thai shareholding, holding 38 land plots (over 38 rai), mostly vacant. Authorities conducted sweeping inspections of 21 such companies to gather evidence for prosecution. Deputy Police Chief Samran revealed that the Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had directed Police Chief Kittarat Parnpetch to aggressively eliminate the nominee scheme—using Thai names as proxies for foreign ownership and land holdings. This initiative addresses accumulated problems on Koh Phangan since 2024, with 29 cases previously prosecuted, 2 convicted, and 62 suspects (32 Thai nationals and 30 foreigners). Phase 1 launched on May 13, targeting upstream and midstream operators including law firms, accounting firms, and nominee companies, resulting in 37 cases, 3 arrest warrants, and 27 search warrants, revealing patterns where Thai state welfare card holders and company employees served as nominees.