Commerce to Inspect 110,000 Companies for Nominee & Shell Company Risks

Thansettakij•Economy•15h ago

Reader Briefing

The Department of Business Development is intensifying checks on over 110,000 companies in 12 provinces to combat the misuse of shell companies and nominee shareholders.

•The Department of Business Development (DBD) will conduct intensive investigations into Thai companies holding shares on behalf of foreigners in 2025.
•The crackdown targets nominee shareholders and shell companies, particularly those involved with land ownership and real estate.
•Specific provinces including Bangkok, Chonburi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai are under heightened scrutiny.
•Measures are being implemented from January 1, 2026, to prevent the establishment of new companies for illegal purposes like opening fraudulent bank accounts.

Overview

•In 2026, the Department of Business Development will conduct intensive investigations into nominee shareholders and foreign investment.
•121,096 companies currently have foreign investment ranging from 0.01-49.99%.
•The DBD will inspect 117,496 companies with foreign investment, focusing on accounting and law firms acting as nominees.
•Inspections will include 21,459 companies suspected of holding land or real estate through Thai nominees.
•Information will be forwarded to relevant agencies to pursue legal action for violations.
•Strict measures for company registration, including 4 orders and 2 announcements, begin on January 1, 2026.
•From January 1 to February 15, 2026, only 1 new company was found used as a shell company for fraudulent bank accounts, down from 549 in 2025.
•The DBD warns company owners selling dormant company registrations to exercise extreme caution to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

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Source: Thansettakij (Original)

Key Quotes

Poonphong Naiyanapakorn

"Warn owners of companies no longer in business who advertise selling company registrations online to be very cautious, lest they become victims of fraudsters and possibly face legal penalties themselves."

ฝากเตือนเจ้าของบริษัทที่ไม่ได้ทำธุรกิจต่อแล้วประกาศขายหัวบริษัททางสื่อสังคมออนไลน์ ให้ใช้ความระมัดระวังให้มาก มิฉะนั้นอาจตกเป็นเหยื่อของมิจฉาชีพ และอาจมีความผิดไปด้วย

Key Entities

Organization

Department of Business Development(กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า)

A Thai government organization responsible for business registration and regulation, involved in inspecting companies for illicit activities.

Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO)(สำนักงานป้องกันและปราบปรามการฟอกเงิน (ปปง.))

A Thai government agency that receives financial investigation data from the Department of Business Development.

Revenue Department(กรมสรรพากร)

A Thai government agency that receives tax-related investigation data from the Department of Business Development.

Economic Crime Suppression Division(กองบังคับการปราบปรามการกระทำความผิดเกี่ยวกับอาชญากรรมทางเศรษฐกิจ)

A law enforcement unit that receives cases of legal violations related to economic crimes from the Department of Business Development.

Royal Thai Police(สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ)

Provided data on the number of new companies established and used as shell companies.

Person

Poonphong Naiyanapakorn(นายพูนพงษ์ นัยนาภากรณ์)

Director-General of the Department of Business Development, who announced intensified inspections.