MP Demands Government Fund DNA Tests for Citizenship Fraud Crackdown

Opposition list MP Piya Rat Jongthep urged the government to accelerate budget allocations for police DNA testing to dismantle the "Pho Thai Thip" citizenship fraud network, criticizing officials for publicizing arrests while forcing investigators to cover costs personally. On October 28, 2026, Piya Rat, a list MP from the Prachachon Party, addressed progress in the "Pho Thai Thip Phase 3" operation, describing it as coordination between police and administrative officials to raid a scheme granting Thai citizenship to children of Chinese nationals. The operation arrested 24 suspects and uncovered victims as old as 27, which he called a commendable achievement.

Piya Rat said that through continuous monitoring via the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's General Committee, data shows tens of thousands of suspected nationality fraud cases over the past 30 years. Yet proactive work faces major obstacles due to insufficient government funding. He emphasized that DNA testing — costing roughly 9,000-10,000 baht per family — is essential for prosecution and citizenship revocation. Thousands of high-risk cases await testing, but agencies lack budgets, forcing investigators in many areas to pay expenses themselves to pursue suspects.

Piya Rat questioned whether the government views this as a genuine national security threat or merely a photo opportunity, arguing that without opposition pressure in parliament and the Bangkok council, the administration might not act seriously. "If the executive truly intends to protect national interests and stop capital draining the nation, it must stop sending police to fight unarmed. Deputy PM and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul must know thousands of DNA tests are pending without funding — he must act urgently," Piya Rat said.