Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Orders Investigation into State Officials Forging Birth Certificates for Chinese Nationals at 30,000 Baht Per Person
State officials in Nakhon Ratchasima allegedly forged birth certificates for Chinese nationals at up to 30,000 baht per document, with at least 27 cases discovered and one official still missing after more than three weeks.
The Nakhon Ratchasima Governor has ordered an investigation into state officials who allegedly forged birth certificates for Chinese nationals at 30,000 baht per person, while the official involved has been missing for over 20 days. On April 26, Dr. Kitti Phong Pongsurawet, mayor of Pho Klang Subdistrict Municipality, filed a police complaint with Muang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station against a civil registrar at Pho Klang Subdistrict Municipality. An inspection revealed a pattern of forging birth certificate documents for foreign nationals (Chinese), with officials collecting fees of 10,000 to 30,000 baht per case. The investigation escalated after the Department of Interior conducted a coordinated inspection and discovered irregularities in issuing documents to foreign nationals. At least 27 cases of irregularities have been identified so far, predominantly involving Chinese nationals, with evidence suggesting involvement of senior-level state officials. Most recently, Pol. Lt. Gen. Narongsak Promta, commander of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police, announced that he has ordered Pol. Col. Sirichai Srichaipanya, superintendent of Muang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station, to call in all involved parties for questioning to expand the investigation. This includes examining all documentary evidence indicative of criminal conduct. On April 27, related individuals will be summoned for questioning, and if connections to any other persons are discovered, they will be called in for further interrogation before consolidating all findings and submitting them to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for legal proceedings, as this case involves corruption by state officials. Police must also locate the missing state official who has been absent for over 20 days, as he is considered a key figure to unraveling this entire operation.
