On August 10, Thai police arrested 13 foreigners in Hua Hin during a crackdown on nominee property networks. More than 200 officers launched Phase 6 of the Crackdown on Foreign Nominee Networks operation targeting illegally owned pool villas valued between 10 million to 20 million baht each. Investigators found six companies registered using Thai nationals as nominees, resulting in arrest warrants for 45 foreign nationals and summonses for 39 Thai citizens involved in the scheme.
The arrested foreigners claimed that law firms advised them into establishing companies to hold properties they believed were lawful arrangements. Police seized company registration documents, accounting records, and electronic data during searches in Thap Thai subdistrict. This operation is part of a wider nationwide campaign targeting foreign investors across six provinces including Phuket previously covered by earlier phases involving 233 plots worth approximately 2.5 billion baht.
Authorities plan to examine the seized material to trace financial transactions and identify other connected individuals involved. Police stated they would continue investigating nominee networks suspected of operating businesses illegally, while also checking for potential corruption or assistance from government officials in the scheme. Do you have any questions regarding how these legal frameworks affect foreign investors?