Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has expressed concern over the growing problem of foreign nationals using Thai nominees to hold land, which is driving up property prices and limiting Thai citizens' access to resources. He has ordered the Land Department to intensify inspections and monitoring of land transactions nationwide to prevent the use of Thai proxies for foreign land ownership and close legal loopholes. Following this directive, the Land Department sent urgent letters to all provincial governors asking them to brief officials and coordinate with relevant agencies to strictly enforce guidelines preventing foreign-backed land ownership schemes. The department is also promoting public awareness to prevent citizens from becoming unwitting nominees or facilitating illegal land transfers, with instructions for them to report violations to authorities and support operations by security command sectors. All land offices nationwide have been ordered to accelerate surveillance and monitoring of high-risk transactions, with particular emphasis on careful and rigorous registration procedures in major economic zones, tourist areas, and regions with significant foreign capital land deals. The Land Department confirmed it has continuously implemented counter-measures including deep investigations into fund sources, connections between land holders, corporate shareholding structures, and suspicious nominee patterns. When violations are discovered, immediate legal action is required, including cases where individuals or Thai-majority companies purchase land with cash payments of two million baht or more, or property valued at five million baht or higher for registration fees—except for inheritance transfers—which require further investigation into fund sources and financial status. Cases involving corporations with risky nominee structures, suspicious shareholding changes, capital increases, or unusual proportion shifts are also subject to detailed investigation. All land offices must conduct monthly reviews of corporations with foreign shareholders or executives suspected of nominee schemes and report findings every three months. Clear evidence of violations triggers strict legal action against both companies and individuals involved.

PHUKET: A weather warning issued for Phuket will remain in effect through Monday (May 18), with authorities urging residents and tourists to stay alert for flash floods, landslides, flooding and dangerous sea conditions as heavy rain and strong winds are forecast across the island.

Deputy Prime Minister Supamas Iatsraphakdi, overseeing the Consumer Protection Board (CPB), announced action against an airline ticket fraud scheme targeting routes to Japan, South Korea, and Europe. Multiple victims filed complaints after being deceived by a travel agency that falsely advertised airline promotions but failed to deliver tickets or allow travel, causing damages exceeding 10 million baht.

The scam operated by initially delivering legitimate tickets to early customers, generating word-of-mouth referrals. Since April, the company stopped delivering tickets and demanded additional payments for fuel surcharges and airport taxes. When customers transferred extra funds, they received nothing, and refund requests were indefinitely delayed.

Supamas ordered the CPB to establish a task force for urgent complaints and create a fast-track consumer rights protection process. Officials will meet with affected consumers, the business operator, and airlines on May 21 to gather facts and attempt mediation. If no settlement is reached, the CPB will immediately pursue cases on behalf of consumers while coordinating with law enforcement for criminal prosecution of all charges without exception.

The CPB must report progress every seven days and regularly disclose information to the public to ensure no complaints fall through the cracks. Supamas advised the public to follow three verification steps before transferring money: verify identity by purchasing directly from airlines or trusted platforms and checking business registration with the Tourism Authority; check prices against major airline websites to avoid suspiciously cheap tickets; and avoid transferring to personal accounts or additional payments claiming to fix old deals, which are typical fraud indicators.

Supamas warned that the government and CPB will take strict action against anyone exploiting online loopholes to defraud consumers and urged the public to verify all details carefully before making transfers.

On May 15, Phot Aramwattananont, chairman of the Zero Corruption Task Force of GCR and chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, along with teams from three private sector institutions—GCR, the Thai Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand), the Institute for Justice (TIJ), and academics from TDRI—met with Deputy Prime Minister Phorn Nila Praphand (Legal Affairs) to propose sustainable solutions to corruption and push for legal reforms to strengthen the country's competitive capacity.

The Zero Corruption Task Force presented three key initiatives:

1. Declaring anti-corruption as a "national agenda" and proposing the establishment of a "National Anti-Corruption Committee" chaired by the Prime Minister, along with a public-private cooperation committee to jointly monitor and promote ethical practices.

2. Using digital technology to open government data, proposing the use of budget tracking dashboards and centralized data exchange systems to reduce official discretion and emphasize interconnected government data.

3. Elevating four transparency pilot agencies—the Finance Ministry, Interior Ministry, Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration—by emphasizing the disclosure of procurement information through the e-Government Procurement system and establishing citizen feedback mechanisms.

The task force also proposed the "Reinvent Thailand" plan to address outdated laws that obstruct business operations in target industries.

Deputy Prime Minister Phorn Nila Praphand acknowledged the proposals and stated that the government has a clear policy against corruption, particularly closing legal loopholes that facilitate bribery. He committed to presenting these recommendations to the Prime Minister.

The next step for Zero Corruption will be tabled at a GCR meeting on May 19 to prioritize laws requiring urgent reform, with emphasis on measures benefiting small businesses and the general public. The refined proposal will be discussed again with the Deputy Prime Minister in early June 2025, with a June 10 submission deadline before proceeding to the Cabinet meeting.

"We must work together to build trust and confidence. Without it, the country cannot move forward," the statement emphasized.

Industry Minister Warawut Silpaarch visited the Bank for Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SME D Bank), a state-owned specialized financial institution under the Industry Ministry's supervision, to deliver new operational policies. He emphasized that the bank must continue supporting Thai SME operators in all circumstances and facilitate their smooth transition to green business practices in line with the government's "ONE MIND single industry" policy, built on four pillars: listening to public and business voices, launching new economic engines, responsive governance, and ministerial commitment. These will be implemented through rapid and broad access to financial services coupled with development support, including technology and innovation training.

The bank must integrate cooperation with agencies under the Industry Ministry and both public and private sector partners to maximize efficiency for SMEs, helping them increase productivity, reduce costs, minimize waste and greenhouse gas emissions, adopt clean energy, and manage environmentally-friendly supply chains. This will enable Thai SMEs to adapt to global economic changes, compete internationally, and build long-term economic security.

Pichit Mitravongse, SME D Bank's Managing Director, stated that the bank is ready to implement the industry minister's policies as the primary mechanism supporting SMEs and linking partner organizations to enhance SME competitiveness amid economic challenges. The bank has implemented improvements across multiple dimensions, including clear policy communication at all levels, removing regulatory obstacles, relaxing borrower qualifications and collateral requirements, and increasing SME access to capital, particularly in target industries such as food, agricultural processing, and wellness.

The bank has incorporated ESG principles to promote environmentally and socially responsible business practices among SMEs while maintaining proper risk management. The bank has established a three-dimensional action plan: First, improving capital access by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises with total lending of over 20 billion baht at a low fixed interest rate of just 3% per year for the first three years, with repayment terms extending up to 10 years to ensure adequate liquidity during economic crises.