Authorities launched the "Reverse Dragon Scale" operation, arresting the Thong Pha Phum district chief officer, a village headman, and a broker involved in falsifying birth registrations to grant Thai nationality to children of Chinese and Myanmar descent. Twelve other suspects remain and are being summoned to acknowledge charges.
On 5 June 2026, the Department of Provincial Administration's anti-registration security task force (DOPA N.I.C.E.), together with the Anti-Cybercrime Center (ACSC) of the Royal Thai Police and related agencies, jointly launched the "Reverse Dragon Scale" operation.
Following the arrest on 29 April 2026 of six suspects hired to marry Thai men and falsely register them as fathers to five Chinese children to obtain Thai nationality, incidents occurred in Bangkok. Subsequently, on 1 May 2026, three state officials were arrested for falsifying birth registrations to grant Thai nationality and foreign birth certificates to children of foreigners, and for transferring these children into housing records of demolished houses (so-called "ghost houses") to falsify civil registration entries for 13 children (with an additional 53 identified later) in Nakhon Ratchasima province, prompting further investigation.
Investigators found foreign children registered with delayed birth notifications (form Tor.2) from the local registry office in Nong Prue District, Kanchanaburi Province. At that time, Phumeth Pemipong, former district chief officer of Nong Prue, acted as the registrar accepting delayed birth notifications, falsely registering at least 10 children of foreigners as Thai nationals—eight with Thai fathers and foreign mothers, and two with foreign fathers and Thai mothers.
The Department of Provincial Administration, via DOPA N.I.C.E., assigned Lt. Thanawat Intrasuwan to file complaints with Nong Prue Police to prosecute 15 offenders for colluding to support officials in corruptly performing or neglecting their duties to cause harm, falsifying official documents, neglecting to record required information, and producing false certificates. Charges include offenses under the Criminal Code Sections 157, 162, 86, the Anti-Corruption Act 2018 Section 172, and the Civil Registration Act 1991 Section 50. The accused unlawfully used or presented false documents to register themselves or others in household registries or civil registration documents, constituting corrupt registration practices likely to cause harm to others or the public.
On 4-5 June 2026, officials resumed the "Reverse Dragon Scale" operation to arrest three suspects named in arrest warrants, including:
1. Mr. Phumeth Pemipong, Thong Pha Phum district chief officer (who held the position of Nong Prue district chief officer at the time of the offenses), acting as the registrar accepting birth notifications.
2. Ms. Maliwan Hongwiangchan, village headman, acting as the official receiving household transfer notifications.
3. Mr. Thanin Kesornbua, a broker involved in the scheme.
All three suspects have been arrested and are being transferred to Nong Prue Police Station for further investigation and prosecution. The remaining suspects will be summoned to acknowledge the charges.