PUBLISHED: 13 Feb 2025 at 05: 07
Officials have prosecuted 820 instances of candidate businesses that caused almost 12.5 billion ringgit in damages, and identified over 200, 000 animal accounts nationwide.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ), the Immigration Bureau, the Customs Department, the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), the Consumer Protection Board ( OCPB), and the Royal Thai Police (RTP), according to Deputy government spokeswoman Sasikan Wattanachan, on Wednesday, coordinated efforts to combat nominee businesses, particularly those that involve Thai citizens holding shares on behalf of foreigners to avoid the Foreign Business Act, as well as the trade of substandard imported goods across the nation.
Ms Sasikan said that since September next month, there have been 820 scenarios involving candidate companies, with injuries amounting to 12.49 billion baht.
She said they operate in the hospitality industry and associated sectors in Bangkok, Phuket, and Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Another affected industries include online markets, building material suppliers, accounting firms, area transportation companies, and real estate businesses.
The Anti-Online Crime Operation Center ( AOC ) of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has sent the HR-03 list, which includes the names of 204, 000 Thai and foreign individuals identified as potential mule account holders, to the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ), the Anti-Money Laundering Office ( Amlo ), and the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI), for further action, according to Ms. Sasikan.
These people are connected to 1, 159 firms in Thailand, all of which are suspected of possibly having horse accounts or engaging in illegal actions.
” State authorities will conduct thorough studies all over the country to eliminate nominee businesses, stop the circulation of substandard exports, and shut down foreign businesses that break the law,” said Ms. Sasikan.