The Thai government has defended its record on tackling transnational crime, Chinese criminal networks and nominee business structures after criticism from the opposition People’s Party shadow cabinet. Deputy government spokeswoman Lallida Perdwivattana said the administration had already launched aggressive enforcement measures before the opposition’s public statements.
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Speaking at Government House on 25 May, Lallida said the government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had not ignored organised crime issues. She said authorities had intensified operations against Chinese criminal gangs, nominee businesses, proxy ownership schemes and foreign influence networks in several key areas across Thailand.
Lallida argued that many of the high-profile cases currently known to the public had emerged because the government had expanded investigations and enforcement efforts. She said the administration had “never hidden problems under the carpet” and was committed to removing illegal networks operating in the country.
She cited the case involving Mingchen Sun, in Chon Buri province, which initially began as a vehicle accident investigation. According to Lallida, Prime Ministerial orders for a deeper police investigation led to the arrest of 11 additional suspects, including civilians and former Royal Thai Navy officers, while authorities also examined military weapons trafficking, pink ID card ownership and nominee networks nationwide.
The spokeswoman also referred to a case in Sa Kaeo province involving police officers accused of abducting and extorting a Chinese national. She said all four officers involved had been immediately dismissed from service and were facing full criminal prosecution without protection from within the organisation.
Lallida said the government had already introduced preventative measures against nominee ownership and foreign property acquisitions before the opposition criticism. These included cancelling the 60-day visa-free scheme for 93 countries, establishing a committee to review Thailand’s visa system and ordering the Department of Lands to investigate shareholder structures and financial trails linked to suspicious entities nationwide.
She added that the Department of Lands was working with the Department of Special Investigation, the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Department of Business Development to expand investigations into nominee networks. Land offices nationwide had also been instructed to report inspection results involving suspicious legal entities every three months.
Lallida called on opposition figures to submit any evidence relating to nominee companies or criminal networks directly to the Royal Thai Police, DSI or the Anti-Money Laundering Office instead of releasing details through the media first. She warned that premature publicity could damage evidence or allow suspects to flee prosecution.
She said foreign nominee ownership and proxy business structures were long-standing structural problems that had existed for decades. However, Lallida claimed the current administration was the first government to conduct nationwide investigations into shareholder structures and financial routes rather than relying solely on document inspections.
Thaitabloid reported that the government insisted it would continue enforcing the law directly and would not allow Thailand to become a safe haven for transnational criminal organisations.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Thaitabloid 26 May 2026