DBD Phuket Beach Organization and Nomad Business Crackdown

Matichon•Economy•17d ago

Reader Briefing

The Department of Business Development is collaborating with multiple agencies to crack down on nominee businesses and protection money rackets in Phuket.

•Director General Poonpong Nayana-pakorn of the Department of Business Development assigned a nominee crackdown team to a meeting in Phuket on August 7, 2026.
•The meeting focused on beach operator organization, water safety, and the elimination of protection money payments in Patong.
•Authorities are investigating foreign capital using Thai nominees to operate businesses in real estate and beach services.
•Phuket has 29,862 limited companies, with 11,305 identified as nominee risk groups.

Overview

•On August 7, 2026, a nominee crackdown team from the Department of Business Development attended a meeting chaired by Nopporn Boonkaew at the Phuket Provincial Hall.
•The meeting tracked progress on resolving beach operator issues in Phuket, water safety measures, and protection money collection in Patong following the Prime Minister's orders.
•The Department of Business Development, Royal Thai Police, Anti-Money Laundering Office, and Department of Special Investigation are tasked with auditing companies claiming to be associations or foreign capital (nominees) in real estate and beach services.
•Any association or company found using Thai names to front for foreigners will have their tourism business licenses revoked and their directors blacklisted.
•The meeting discussed establishing Special Zones for beach service providers and auditing taxes, waste management, and wastewater impacts.
•Nopporn Boonkaew and a delegation visited Patong Beach and Soi Saen Sabai in Patong Subdistrict to investigate complaints regarding protection money and influential groups.
•In Phuket, out of 29,862 limited companies, there are 11,305 companies categorized as nominee risk groups where foreign investment is less than 50% to maintain Thai status.
•The Department of Business Development will conduct intensive investigations if any business is suspected of violating the Foreign Business Act 1999.

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Key Entities

Organization

Department of Business Development(กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า)

The agency responsible for auditing nominee risk groups and foreign business operations in Phuket.

Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️

The ministry overseeing the Department of Business Development.

Royal Thai Police(สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

Agency tasked with investigating companies claiming to be associations or foreign nominees.

Anti-Money Laundering Office(สำนักงานป้องกันและปราบปรามการฟอกเงิน)

Agency tasked with auditing financial trails of suspected nominee companies.

Department of Special Investigation(กรมสอบสวนคดีพิเศษ)ℹ️

Agency tasked with investigating companies claiming to be associations or foreign nominees.

Department of Tourism(กรมการท่องเที่ยว)

Agency collaborating with the Department of Business Development on tourism business audits.

Tourist Police(ตำรวจท่องเที่ยว)

Agency collaborating with the Department of Business Development on tourism business audits.

Immigration Bureau(สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง)

Agency collaborating with the Department of Business Development on tourism business audits.

Person

Poonpong Nayana-pakorn(พูนพงษ์ นัยนาภากรณ์)

Director General of the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce.

Nopporn Boonkaew(นพพร บุญแก้ว)

Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister who chaired the meeting in Phuket.

Place

Phuket(ภูเก็ต)ℹ️

The province where beach organization and nominee business audits are being conducted.

Patong(ป่าตอง)ℹ️

The area where protection money collection issues and influential groups are being investigated.

Law

Foreign Business Act 1999(พ.ร.บ.การประกอบธุรกิจของคนต่างด้าว พ.ศ.2542)

The law used to screen and investigate foreign shareholders in Thai businesses.