A RAID on illegal nominee businesses in Bangkok’s Huay Kwang district by Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee: and his team today (Aug. 9) surprisingly led to a Chinese nominee hotel owner calling his team and offering to reach a settlement claiming he was already paying cash to government officials, Naewna newspaper said late this evening.
Polapee led a special operations team from the Department of Provincial Administration in mounting this raid with units from several other agencies joining in including the Department of Provincial Administration, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Business Development, the Department of Employment, and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
On this clearly a bribe offer, he said would not compromise, would not negotiate, and would not settle; wrongdoing is wrongdoing, and the law must be upheld. He vowed to investigate the facts and dismantle the entire network.
The team conducted random inspections of hotels and businesses in Huai Khwang area after complaints from local residents that several suspicious activities were taking place, including operating without a licence, possible illegal construction or modification to buildings, and safety issues.
A check of the shareholder structure of some businesses showed possible nominee arrangements with the Chinese nationals holding 49% of the shares and their Thai wives holding the remaining 51%. However, upon being questioned the Thai women, listed as shareholders, were unaware of the details regarding share payment, company registration, or business management. Authorities also found that an accounting firm and a law office were potentially involved, requiring further investigation.
An inspection of the targeted hotel raised concern about fire escapes, emergency exits, and fire safety systems, potentially compromising guest safety in case of emergencies. Some illegal foreign workers were also found there working at occupations reserved for Thai citizens.
However, what shocked Polapee the most was an attempt by the business owner to contact the team during the operation, requesting to “clear” the matter, claiming connections to certain government officials in Huai Khwang area, including Immigration Bureau officers. This person also alleged that payments were made not only specifically for the establishment inspected today but were part of ongoing payments across multiple establishments.
“The media should have already recorded on video and audio the hotel owner attempting to contact and try to ‘clear’ things, citing various agencies. What’s even more shocking is that he claimed to have contact with officials in Huai Khwang district, and even immigration officers. He didn’t just want to ‘clear’ the place we inspected today; he said he already pays in installments at several establishments,” Polapee said.
The deputy minister has now instructed the Department of Provincial Administration to coordinate with relevant agencies in launching an investigation and track down the phone numbers of callers and verify the identities of two to three individuals allegedly impersonating officials from various agencies and their actual involvement.
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Top and Front Page: Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee during today’s raid. Photo – Naewna
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