The Public Health Committee met with government agencies to expand the investigation into the "Phor Thip" case, which is believed to involve a transnational operation exploiting Thai citizenship rights. Sakolthee revealed that QR code advertisements promoting surrogacy are widely circulating online. It was found that private hospitals and district offices are cooperating in reporting fraudulent Thai nationality registrations.
At 12:30 p.m. on 23 July 2026, at the Parliament, Sakolthee Phattiyakul, a party-list MP from the Democrat Party and chairman of the Parliamentary Public Health Committee, held a press conference after a committee meeting to examine the issue of foreign nationals registering children fraudulently as Thai nationals, falsely claiming them as children of Thai men known as "Phor Thip." The committee invited the police handling this case, the Department of Provincial Administration, representatives from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide explanations. Two rounds of arrests have been made: the first on 29 April 2026, with 35 warrants served, including 14 Thai fathers and 14 mothers involved, plus other accomplices; the second on 15 July 2026, with 40 warrants issued in coordination with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), leading to additional arrests. Eight private hospitals are implicated, with possible involvement of state hospitals under investigation. The committee emphasized the need to trace the origins, suspecting a large-scale network rather than isolated cases resolved by fines or imprisonment.
Sakolthee added that the meeting noted cooperation among the police, BMA, Department of Provincial Administration, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns. Verified cases in Bangkok revealed 32 confirmed "Phor Thip" individuals, with an additional 45 at-risk cases and 556 suspected cases pending DNA testing of fathers, mothers, and children. The Department of Provincial Administration assured that the Minister of Interior has ordered retrospective investigations covering the past 15 years nationwide. The committee plans to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review passports of these children to determine whether this constitutes human trafficking or attempts to obtain Thai nationality fraudulently, including future property ownership in Thailand. The committee suspects this is a large organized network, noting increasing numbers of children fraudulently registered using "Phor Thip" identities, with over 500 cases in Bangkok alone this year, excluding data from provincial hospitals, which are also under review.
"The investigation process remains slow and has not yet traced the root causes. The committee urges expansion of the inquiry to identify any connections among involved parties. Civil society monitoring this issue reports ongoing advertisements on Facebook and online media with QR codes offering package services from childbirth to birth registration. This information has been handed over to police for action. The committee aims to coordinate efforts among government agencies to prevent isolated actions, recognizing this as a form of threat involving fraudulent use of Thai identities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been requested to review records of children born in the past 15 years to determine if passports were issued and whether they reside abroad or in Thailand, including any property registrations. The committee has identified system vulnerabilities originating from hospitals and BMA district offices registering fraudulent nationality claims. Upon receiving the list of involved hospitals, the committee will summon all for questioning. Regarding plugging these loopholes, the committee stressed to BMA representatives that, under the Ministry of Interior regulations, DNA testing is discretionary and requires fees of 3,500 to 10,000 baht, burdening those tested. The committee will discuss relevant legislation with the Ministry of Public Health," Sakolthee said.
Sakolthee further explained that the verification process is straightforward: hospitals conduct births and send records to district offices, which, if no suspicious signs are detected, immediately certify the nationality. For over ten years, there has been no detailed scrutiny. He believes that nationwide re-examination could reveal thousands of similar cases. The committee is awaiting nationwide data from the Ministry of Interior and BMA. These operations likely involve money and complicity from officials. The Public Health Committee will collaborate with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to trace financial flows to officials, seeking evidence of corruption and links to a larger network. The goal is to dismantle the entire operation exploiting Thai nationality for rights or property ownership on behalf of criminal groups. The initial "Phor Thip" arrests originated from a crackdown on scammers hiring "Phor Thip" to register Chinese children as Thai nationals.
When asked about the Department of Health Service Support currently revising the draft of the Child Protection Act concerning children born via assisted reproductive technology (the Surrogacy Act), which is under public consultation, and whether it should be strengthened to prevent commercial surrogacy and fraudulent nationality claims, Sakolthee said that civil society groups participating in discussions with the Public Health Committee have proposed amendments to prevent commercial surrogacy, human trafficking, and fraudulent Thai nationality claims. The committee's legal subcommittee will also review these proposals.
