CHIANG MAI – Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) announced the results of a sting operation by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) called “Chiang Dao Fog Clearing,” carried out with police and anti-corruption agencies.
Authorities arrested 6 Chiang Dao district officials and related suspects accused of illegally issuing permanent residency documents and Thai citizenship status to foreign nationals, including “gray” Chinese figures linked to arrest warrants and transnational crime. Officials say the case is a serious national security risk, and they will pursue every person involved.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) office in Chiang Mai, a joint team led by DOPA Deputy Director-General Witoon Sirinukul and Police Maj. Gen. Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), briefed the public on the case.
Other agencies joining the announcement included NACC Region 5, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Region 5.
Earlier that morning, DOPA coordinated with the CIB, NACC, PACC, and DSI to execute arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 5. The team targeted officials in Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai, and associated local government staff.
Six Suspects Named, Five Arrested
Authorities said the court approved warrants for six people. Five were arrested during the operation.
The suspects include:
- A district officer, head of the registration and ID card unit, Chiang Dao District
- A district officer assigned to registration and ID card work, Chiang Dao District
- A contract worker in the registration and ID card unit, Chiang Dao District
- Another contract worker in the registration and ID card unit, Chiang Dao District
- The finance division director, Thung Khao Phuang Subdistrict Municipality
- An assistant registrar, Thung Khao Phuang Subdistrict Municipality
Investigators allege the group helped foreign nationals obtain residency and Thai nationality through fraudulent records. Authorities said at least nine foreigners were involved in the suspected scheme.
Police also searched three locations tied to the warrants. In the Chiang Dao district officer’s room, officers found documents related to applications for ID cards for non-Thai nationals hidden under a bed, along with 80,000 baht in cash. The items were seized for review.
Case Linked to Earlier Arrest
Witoon said the Chiang Dao case grew from an earlier investigation in Wiang Haeng District, Chiang Mai, in November 2025. That case involved a suspect accused of abusing Thailand’s civil registration system.
According to DOPA, the person held a Chinese passport and allegedly obtained an ID through fraud, then moved their household registration from Wiang Haeng to Chiang Dao. When officials checked the civil registry data, they found the individual was a Chinese national with an arrest warrant and ties to scam networks or transnational crime.
DOPA said the pattern pointed to organized wrongdoing, with state officials playing a key role. Investigators flagged several red signs, including:
- The person applied for a first ID card at an unusually late age
- The applicant couldn’t write the request and used a fingerprint instead
- The applicant couldn’t speak Thai, despite claiming to have lived in Thailand for over 20 years
Authorities also questioned the supporting paperwork, including a birth certificate used in the application. Investigators said the document appeared to belong to someone who never had a Thai ID card and had not been seen for a long time.
Yet the family did not report the person missing or file a complaint. Officials said access to those records would typically require involvement from personnel with official duties.
Investigators also noted inconsistencies with the “family member” witnesses listed in the file. They said the people presented as relatives did not appear to match in appearance.
Most suspects have denied the allegations so far. Regarding the seized cash, one claim given to officers was that the money came from selling amulets. Authorities said they are now checking financial trails in detail.
More Arrests Possible, wider checks underway
Jaroonkiat said the evidence provided by DOPA, along with additional findings, will be used to expand the case. Some suspects have cooperated during questioning, while others continue to deny wrongdoing.
He added that investigators believe the network may include more senior figures. He pointed to the earlier Wiang Haeng case, where initial inquiries did not show a link to top district leadership, but a later investigation revealed connections that led to further action.
Officials stressed that identity fraud of this kind harms public safety and national security. They said granting status to people tied to illegal activity can open the door to more crimes and hurt law-abiding residents.
DOPA said it will pursue charges against everyone involved and extend checks to other areas, after receiving information that similar conduct could involve hundreds of cases. For the two Chiang Dao district officers arrested, Chiang Mai province is preparing an internal inquiry and plans to suspend them from duty while the investigation continues.
