CHIANG MAI – The Central Investigation Bureau police have revealed details of “Operation Cutting the Wiang Haeng Fog”, which targets a major racket selling Thai nationality in Chiang Mai province.
Arrest warrants have now been issued for 30 people in total, including state officials, brokers, and foreign nationals. The network is accused of helping “grey” Chinese citizens linked to online gambling, scam operations, and call centre gangs to obtain Thai documents under false identities.
On 20 November, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited Provincial Police Region 5 headquarters to join a press briefing on the results of Operation Cutting the Wiang Haeng Fog. The operation focuses on a bribery and nationality‑fixing ring in Wiang Haeng district, Chiang Mai.
Those arrested include a district deputy chief officer, temporary staff, village headmen and subdistrict heads, foreign brokers, as well as suspects from three major drug trafficking cases, where officers seized 11 million methamphetamine pills and half a tonne of crystal meth. Three suspects have already been taken into custody in connection with the drug cases.
During the visit, Mr Narucha Kosasivibul, Director‑General of the Department of Provincial Administration, presented an update on Operation Cutting the Wiang Haeng Fog. He explained that the department has been working to resolve long‑standing issues over personal legal status, in line with the Cabinet resolution of 29 October 2024.
That resolution allows more than 480,000 stateless migrants to obtain permanent residence in Thailand. Around 97,000 of these people are in Chiang Mai, with about 24,000 living in Wiang Haeng district. Implementation of the Cabinet decision began on 30 June 2025.
Shortly after work began, the Department of Provincial Administration received complaints about corrupt demands for money in exchange for processing status in Wiang Haeng. In response, the department ordered Deputy Director‑General Withoon Sirinukul to lead an investigative team to the area to urgently check the facts.
The inquiry found that a group of brokers had colluded with corrupt state officials to bring in Chinese nationals who did not meet the legal criteria, then registered them under false identities. These individuals were recorded as permanent residents using fabricated documents.
The first batch uncovered contained at least 16 fraudulent records. Three of those involved still held valid Chinese passports and continued to use them to travel in and out of Thailand.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) also shared intelligence indicating that many of the Chinese nationals who obtained Thai status in this way are linked to “grey” Chinese networks. These include operators of illegal online gambling platforms, online scammers, and call centre gangs, seen as a serious threat to national security.
Because of this, the Department of Provincial Administration instructed its investigation team to file formal complaints, together with evidence and witness statements, with the Anti‑Corruption and Misconduct Suppression Division under the Central Investigation Bureau. The aim is to bring criminal charges against every state official, broker, and foreign national involved.
Five agencies then joined forces to build the case: the Department of Provincial Administration, the Royal Thai Police, the National Anti‑Corruption Commission (NACC), the Public Sector Anti‑Corruption Commission (PACC), and the DSI.
Through joint investigation and evidence gathering, they obtained court approval for arrest warrants for 30 suspects. These include 12 state officials and 18 brokers and foreign nationals.
Next, the Department of Provincial Administration will revoke every fraudulent registration record uncovered in the scheme. The investigation will also be widened to cover other parts of the country, to find and dismantle any similar networks operating elsewhere.
