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Commerce Ministry targets nominee businesses using foundations

Commerce Ministry targets nominee businesses using foundations

Khaosod•Economy•14m ago

Reader Briefing

The Department of Business Development and the Ministry of Interior are integrating data to suppress nominee businesses and illegal land ownership.

  • •The Department of Business Development identified nominee behaviors involving the use of foundations to receive foreign donations for land acquisition.
  • •Collaboration is established between the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Interior to monitor land ownership and legal entity registrations.
  • •Authorities are investigating industrial waste factories in Prachinburi and unauthorized company registrations in Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom.

Overview

  • •The Department of Business Development and the Ministry of Interior are integrating data to prevent and suppress nominee businesses.
  • •The Department of Business Development is coordinating with the Department of Provincial Administration to screen hotel businesses for nominee risks.
  • •The Department of Business Development is investigating industrial waste factories in Prachinburi with suspected foreign capital and 100% Thai shareholder structures but foreign directors.
  • •The Ministry of Interior detected foreigners using residents' house numbers in Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom to register companies without owner consent.
  • •The Department of Business Development is targeting accounting and law firms that act as intermediaries for nominee operations.
  • •The Ministry of Commerce is drafting legislation to increase strictness in the supervision of foundations used to funnel foreign donations for asset purchases.
  • •A real-time data integration system will be established between the Ministry of Interior, Department of Lands, Department of Business Development, DSI, AMLO, and Immigration Bureau.
  • •A task force and communication channel are being established between the Ministry of Interior and the Department of Business Development for faster evidence collection.

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Key Quotes

Kittiwat Patchimnan
"The suppression of nominee businesses requires cooperation from all sectors, especially government agencies with different powers and duties."
การปราบปรามธุรกิจนอมินีจำเป็นต้องอาศัยความร่วมมือจากทุกภาคส่วน โดยเฉพาะหน่วยงานภาครัฐที่มีอำนาจหน้าที่แตกต่างกัน

Key Entities

Person

Kittiwat Patchimnan(กิตติวัฒน์ ปัจฉิมนันท์)
Director General of the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce.
Phonphi Suwannachawee(พลพีร์ สุวรรณฉวี)
Deputy Minister of Interior.

Organization

Department of Business Development(กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า)
Agency under the Ministry of Commerce responsible for legal entity registration and nominee suppression.
Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️
Ministry overseeing the Department of Business Development.
Ministry of Interior(กระทรวงมหาดไทย)ℹ️
Ministry responsible for area-level supervision, administration, and land ownership data.
Department of Provincial Administration(กรมการปกครอง)ℹ️
Agency providing hotel business license data for nominee screening.
Ministry of Industry(กระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม)ℹ️
Agency receiving risk group data on industrial waste factories for further investigation.
Federation of Accounting Professions(สภาวิชาชีพบัญชีฯ)
Organization that will receive data on accountants found to be involved in nominee wrongdoing.
Lawyers Council of Thailand(สภาทนายความ)
Organization providing lawyer lists to check links as shareholders or directors of companies.
Department of Lands(กรมที่ดิน)
Agency involved in the proposed real-time data integration for nominee detection.
Department of Special Investigation (DSI)(กรมสอบสวนคดีพิเศษ (DSI))
Agency involved in the proposed real-time data integration for nominee detection.
Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO)(สำนักงานป้องกันและปราบปรามการฟอกเงิน (ปปง.))
Agency involved in the proposed real-time data integration for nominee detection.
Immigration Bureau(สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง)
Agency involved in the proposed real-time data integration for nominee detection.

Place

Prachinburi Province(จ.ปราจีนบุรี)ℹ️
Location of industrial waste factories under investigation for foreign nominee involvement.
Sakon Nakhon Province(จังหวัดสกลนคร)ℹ️
Province where residents' house numbers were used by foreigners for unauthorized company registration.
Nakhon Phanom(นครพนม)ℹ️
Province where residents' house numbers were used by foreigners for unauthorized company registration.