Thais Warned Not to Act as Company Nominees for Foreigners

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BANGKOK – Ms Pongphan Jianviriyaphan, director-general of Business Development Department, warned Monday that Thai nationals should not to act as nominees of alien businessmen operating in tourism and real estate businesses or they may face a maximum three-year imprisonment and a fine of between 100,000 and one million baht.

She disclosed that officials from the department conducted a field inspection of tourism business and other businesses susceptible to alien control via the use of Thai nominees in Phuket and Koh Samui last year.

Two cases of alien business with Thai nationals acting as their nominees were found –one involving car rental service and another in retailing business – and the cases were under intensive investigation, she said.

Ms Pongphan said the Department of Special Investigation, the Immigration Bureau and the Department of Tourism had joined the Business Development Department to investigate this illegal business in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai as the two priority targets.

Out of 44 business operators examined, two were found to have breached the law regarding alien business – one engaged in tourism business and the other in real estate business.

She warned Thais not to act as alien businessmen’s nominees in setting up businesses in Thailand or they may face heavy fines and imprisonment