The government announced that the Ministry of Public Health is tightening birth certificate issuance to block the "fake fathers" network exploiting Thai nationality rights, issuing four strict guidelines to be closely followed to prevent identity fraud and eradicate this practice from Thailand.
On 18 September 2026, Ms. Ploytale Lakshamisangchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government is integrating cooperation to prevent, investigate, and strictly enforce laws to stop birth registration processes from being misused as a means to illicitly obtain nationality, thereby preserving the credibility of the Thai nationality system. To prevent identity fraud and build sustainable national security, the Ministry of Public Health has issued policies and guidelines for issuing birth certificates (Form Tor Ror 1/1) for staff at public and private hospitals to strictly follow, aiming to eliminate the "fake father" network in Thailand through four key measures:
1. Scope of certification by healthcare facilities: Hospitals must strictly recognize their authority, certifying only births that genuinely occur at their facility (including date, time, place, and delivery method). If paternity doubts arise, hospitals should advise parents to conduct DNA testing at state-approved institutions to assist civil registrars in their decision.
2. Operational procedures: Staff must record detailed information to allow future verification of relationships, including prenatal history and marriage data. All data must be entered referencing only authentic identity documents of the parents. Additionally, staff must immediately upload birth certificate information into the Department of Provincial Administration’s "Birth Certificate Service System" to prevent later data alterations.
3. Management of roles and responsibilities: No single person may perform all duties alone. Roles must be separated, such as nurses/delivery staff certifying only medical facts, medical records officers entering data based on legal documents and verifying accuracy against government databases, and authorized signatories reviewing overall consistency before signing.
4. Anti-corruption measures and prohibitions: Healthcare facilities must not facilitate registering births on behalf of parents at district or local offices; parents or household heads must complete this themselves. Hospitals are prohibited from issuing Form Tor Ror 1/1 certificates for children not born in hospitals, except in emergency transfers where a nurse cuts the umbilical cord en route; in such cases, the hospital involved in care must issue documents.
Officials are also urged to monitor suspicious irregularities related to parentage and immediately report to supervisors for investigation, including:
1. Foreign mothers lacking basic information about the father or unable to specify his workplace.
2. Fathers who do not appear or participate in care while the mother recovers.
3. Prenatal care locations inconsistent with current residence without reasonable explanation.
4. Attempts to request a "change of father’s name" in medical records after birth registration.
Ms. Ploytale emphasized at the conclusion: "The government is committed to eradicating and prosecuting the 'fake father' network exploiting Thai nationality rights decisively, as directed by the Prime Minister. This is done through integrated cooperation among relevant agencies to rigorously enforce the law. Over time, the government has not been complacent or neglectful but has continuously conducted suppression and investigations to expand enforcement efforts in order to protect the interests of the nation and its people."