Thai officials probed over fake birth records scam ring

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — Authorities have uncovered an alleged fraud ring falsifying birth registrations for foreign nationals in this northeastern province, with state officials implicated and bribes of tens of thousands of baht per case, according to a local official.

Dr. Kittipong Pongsuravet said the Interior Ministry's Department of Provincial Administration alerted municipal authorities in March to suspected corruption in the civil registration system. An investigation revealed that forged documents had been used to register births, with fake paperwork designed to resemble official letters from medical facilities, convincing staff to process the requests.

Investigators discovered that an official without proper system access exploited moments when colleagues were distracted to log into the database using other workers' credentials and input false records. This allowed the fraudulent documents to be issued continuously without detection, as senior management remained unaware of the activity occurring at the operational level.

The mayor of Pho Klang municipality reported that suspects were questioned over two days and confessed to the scheme. Bribes ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 baht per person were allegedly demanded. The operation appeared well-organized, with brokers bringing clients and directing them to a specific official.

A review of records from 2023 to present identified at least 27 cases, significantly more than the initial complaints flagged by the department. Multiple charges have been filed, and a disciplinary committee has been established with officials pledging strict action.

Authorities also discovered other irregularities, including fee overcharging in certain cases, exposing weaknesses in the registration system that could be exploited. The Central Investigation Bureau continues its investigation to expand the case and identify related networks in other provinces.