A raid at a district office in Ayutthaya led to the arrest of six people, including the district chief officer, employees, and intermediaries involved in a corrupt scheme issuing ID cards to foreigners. Most of the recipients were children under 15 years old, with over 200 names fraudulently registered at three households.
At 09:30 on 31 Mar 2026, Mr. Phumvisan Kasemsuk, Secretary-General of the PACC, along with Pol. Lt. Col. Siripong Sritula, Deputy Secretary-General, anti-corruption command officers, and PACC Region 1 staff, collaborated with Mr. Witoon Sirinukul, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, Police Major General Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commander of the Crime Suppression Division, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to launch the “Cutting Old Capital ID Cards” operation. Using arrest warrants from the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 1, they arrested six suspects involved in corruption issuing ID cards to non-Thai nationals at the Wang Noi District Office in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.
The group included Mr. Nattapong Chantraket, Wang Noi District Chief Officer (former head of the administrative group), Mr. Kowit Ngod-ngam, temporary registration and ID officer,)All were charged with serious offenses such as official misconduct by jointly performing or neglecting duties, state official misconduct, and conspiracy to produce or use false documents. When the arrest warrants were read, all suspects showed clear signs of anxiety.
Mrs. Bussara Nikaji, an intermediary, along with four landlords, face charges under Criminal Code Sections 157 and 86, and violations under the 1991 Civil Registration Act, Section 50.
The PACC Region 1 received complaints alleging misconduct by state officials involving intermediaries facilitating foreigners’ fraudulent registration of residence in Wang Noi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, to obtain identification cards for non-Thai nationals. An unusually large number of registrations were made at only three houses, with over 200 people registered without actually residing there.
PACC Region 1 coordinated with the Department of Provincial Administration to verify facts and found that the registration and ID section at the Wang Noi District Office had indeed issued identification cards to foreigners, mostly children and youths under 15 years old.
Investigations revealed that between July and November 2025, there were reported relocations of non-Thai nationalsregisteredat three households. Intermediaries contacted the registration officers at the Wang Noi District Office to bring foreigners for these procedures. The behaviors indicated criminal offenses as follows:
1. False address registration: Numerous applications (Form T.R.13) were submitted to register foreigners at three target houses in Wang Noi District, though these foreigners did not actually reside there.
2. Issuance of identification cards followed immediately after the completion of these fraudulent address registrations, with applications submitted promptly for ID cards for non-Thai nationals.
3. After receiving the ID cards, the foreigners' names were quickly removed from the registered addresses, often within days, showing the move-in was solely to obtain the ID cards.
4. Compensation was paid to landlords consenting to their addresses being used. The district chief officer or temporary employees of the Wang Noi District Office contacted landlords to sign documents and pay them between 1,000 and 3,000 baht per foreign individual.
When registering a move-in, the registrar must verify that the person genuinely resides there with intent to change domicile, and assess the relationship between the registrant and the household members.,For minors, verification must confirm that the move-in is to a residence where the parents or guardians have domicile.
Fact-finding showed that registrars failed to comply with the law and regulations. According to Central Registration Office regulations on issuing ID cards for non-Thai nationals (2019), applications must be submitted at the registrar where the person is registered. For first-time applications, documents proving identity must be presented, including a household registration copy and official photo ID documents. If such documents are missing, the registrar must interview two reliable witnesses.
Verificationof factsshowed that registrars did not conduct witness interviews to confirm applicants' identities and there was no documentation of such interviews in files or databases.
Pol. Lt. Col. Siripong Sritula, Deputy Secretary-General of the PACC, said the arrests resulted from coordinated investigations by multiple agencies. The scheme exploited loopholes in civil registration regulations to issue ID cards, known as “pink cards,” to children born in Thailand to foreign parents. These children receive government benefits such as free education and healthcare, causing significant budget losses. The investigation uncovered mass registrations of stateless persons at small or abandoned houses, with landlords giving false consent and receiving payments. The task force has gathered evidence since mid-2025 and will continue to expand the investigation. Officials involved are not limited to the district chief officer; all responsible parties will be prosecuted if evidence is found.
The Wang Noi District Chief Officer stated that the pink card issuance at the Wang Noi registration office is conducted only one afternoon per week on Thursdays, due to a large number of foreign laborers in the area. Irregularities began when operations extended beyond scheduled days, with vans and cars bringing large groups simultaneously. Abnormal address registrations prompted joint investigations with the Wang Noi Police Station, leading to a temporary suspension of registration. The Department of Provincial Administration also investigated, coordinating data and reviewing CCTV footage to gather evidence.