Police in Chalong, Phuket, have arrested two Canadian nationals and two Thai women over allegations they used Thai nominee shareholders to operate an international school business illegally.

The four were detained on 6 August 2026 under warrants issued by Phuket Provincial Court, Chalong Police said. The case is part of a wider crackdown ordered by the government, Royal Thai Police and Provincial Police Region 8 on foreign-backed businesses allegedly using Thai nominees.

The suspects are Daniel, 46, and Melissa, 44, both Canadian nationals whose surnames were withheld, along with Khwanchon, 57, and Praewa, 37, both Thai nationals.

Alleged nominee shareholding arrangement

Police allege that the Canadian pair worked with Thai nationals who held shares in a legal entity on their behalf, allowing the business to avoid legal restrictions on foreign business ownership.

Investigators said the group allegedly represented the business as being solely owned by Thai interests, or used Thai shareholders as nominees, to enable foreigners to operate a private school within the formal education system.

The alleged arrangement is said to have breached legal requirements governing the proportion of Thai shareholding or capital in such schools.

Daniel and Melissa were charged with allegedly accepting assistance or support from Thai nationals or non-foreign legal entities to operate a foreign business in a manner designed to circumvent the law. They also face allegations of jointly establishing and operating a private school contrary to Thai ownership or capital requirements.

They were arrested outside a residence in Moo 6, Chalong, in Phuket's Muang district.

Thai suspects also charged

Khwanchon and Praewa were charged with allegedly helping, supporting or jointly conducting a foreign business while presenting it as their own, or holding shares for foreigners so they could bypass legal restrictions.

They also face allegations connected to jointly establishing and operating a private school without meeting the required Thai ownership or capital proportions.

Police said further inquiries found that Khwanchon was listed as a shareholder in an accounting company in Chalong. Officers allege the firm was used as a channel for accounting work and transactions involving three other related companies.

All four suspects were handed to investigators at Chalong Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Chalong Police said it would continue to investigate nominee arrangements and illegal businesses linked to foreign capital. It asked members of the public with information to contact the station, call 191, or telephone 076-381247, available 24 hours a day.

Pictures courtesy of Matichon

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7 August 2026

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7 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

It asked members of the public with information to contact the station

So as per the above nominee arrangements and other entities "in a manner designed to circumvent the law" it sometimes only takes a complaint from someone maybe with a grudge to start things rolling.

Well they sure are landing the big fish in this sweep. I am certain a lot of grudges will be satisfied by this latest enthusiastic purge.

18 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

Well they sure are landing the big fish in this sweep. I am certain a lot of grudges will be satisfied by this latest enthusiastic purge.

And the way the Thai enforcement system is geared to criminal complaint, you may never know who you P-offed until it is too late.

Edited August 7Aug 7 by JerryM

Note they didn't get charged with working without a permit.

Glad I closed when I did

There seems to be a lot of this going on Thai nominees involved with Foreigners

There has to be people in high places with in Government who have to sign these deals off or there is no control on the number involved

🤑comes to mind

What happened to the 'international' school? Is it still open?

The 2 Thais are hiding the evidence around their waist.

Why don't they name the school?

8 hours ago, JerryM said:

it sometimes only takes a complaint from someone maybe with a grudge to start things rolling.

That's my thinking too. And we could see much more of that. Quick and easy way to get rid of competitors. I doubt the foreigners are hiding in these businesses, so they'd be obvious to any Thai (or foreigner) who wants to grass them.

54 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

That's my thinking too. And we could see much more of that. Quick and easy way to get rid of competitors. I doubt the foreigners are hiding in these businesses, so they'd be obvious to any Thai (or foreigner) who wants to grass them.

Gemini -- Under Thai law (Criminal Procedure Code), an injured party who suffers harm from a crime can pursue justice through two main channels: filing a police complaint for state prosecution ...

So someone would need to show some obvious harm to file a complaint but 'obvious' may not stop someone anyway.

30 minutes ago, JerryM said:

Gemini -- Under Thai law (Criminal Procedure Code), an injured party who suffers harm from a crime can pursue justice through two main channels: filing a police complaint for state prosecution ...

So someone would need to show some obvious harm to file a complaint but 'obvious' may not stop someone anyway.

No, they (competitors) would just tip off the investigators who are searching for nominees with foreigners - they wouldn't make police complaints - they'd want to remain annonymous as best they could.

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Why don't they name the school?

Thai media usually don't name the schools. Libel chill.

5 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

No, they (competitors) would just tip off the investigators who are searching for nominees with foreigners - they wouldn't make police complaints - they'd want to remain annonymous as best they could.

Well if you look at some the actions to date and what was involved to actually make the case it takes a lot more than a tip from a competitor with an attitude.

And nothing about it is "quick & easy".

Edited August 7Aug 7 by JerryM

1 minute ago, JerryM said:

Well if you look at some the actions to date and what was involved to actually make the case it takes a lot more than a tip from a competitor with an attitude.

Sure. But the competitor that rats out the foreign competitor doesn't need to do that does he? Just say that place over there is run by foreigners with Thai nominees. We see the foreigners every day there. Then walk away.

6 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Sure. But the competitor that rats out the foreign competitor doesn't need to do that does he? Just say that place over there is run by foreigners with Thai nominees. We see the foreigners every day there. Then walk away.

I don't think that's how it works. A 'tip' without detail or evidence and without any possibility of follow-up gets low attention.

Edited August 7Aug 7 by JerryM

11 hours ago, JerryM said:

So as per the above nominee arrangements and other entities "in a manner designed to circumvent the law" it sometimes only takes a complaint from someone maybe with a grudge to start things rolling.

and why shouldn't it if they are reporting illegal activities? Whether those doing the reporting have a grudge or not is irrelevant.

6 hours ago, JerryM said:

And the way the Thai enforcement system is geared to criminal complaint, you may never know who you P-offed until it is too late.

I suppose that's always a danger if you have a tendency to piss off people,

5 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Note they didn't get charged with working without a permit

Maybe they weren't working. A work permit is not required to own a share in a business.

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

and why shouldn't it if they are reporting illegal activities? Whether those doing the reporting have a grudge or not is irrelevant.

They that are reporting potential illegal activities. I say that because someone has to have a genuine complaint and, even if they do, they have to be willing to put up with an extended process.

It isn't that someone makes a phone call and says "I think xyz is illegal" and then hangs up.

Edited August 7Aug 7 by JerryM

Okay, how much did they charge for tuition? What ages? Where they qualified teachers? Were the parents satisfied?

We could sure use better education in Thailand, no matter who provides it.

5 hours ago, shackleton said:

There seems to be a lot of this going on Thai nominees involved with Foreigners

There has to be people in high places with in Government who have to sign these deals off or there is no control on the number involved

🤑comes to mind

It does not require people in high places within the government to incorporate and register a company in Thailand, that, on the face of it, complies with the law regarding ownership.

5 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

What happened to the 'international' school? Is it still open?

I would doubt it as the school was illegal.

2 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

That's my thinking too. And we could see much more of that. Quick and easy way to get rid of competitors. I doubt the foreigners are hiding in these businesses, so they'd be obvious to any Thai (or foreigner) who wants to grass them.

It reads as though you condone these illegal businesses, why would you do that and disparage those who report them as "grasses"?

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

No, they (competitors) would just tip off the investigators who are searching for nominees with foreigners - they wouldn't make police complaints - they'd want to remain annonymous as best they could.

The investigators that they would need to tip-off are the police!

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

Thai media usually don't name the schools. Libel chill.

An illegal, closed-down, deregistered business is not going to be in any position to sue anyone for libel for reporting the illegal activities.

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

Sure. But the competitor that rats out the foreign competitor doesn't need to do that does he? Just say that place over there is run by foreigners with Thai nominees. We see the foreigners every day there. Then walk away.

"...that place over there is run by foreigners with Thai nominees".

Operating a business/company with Thai nominees is not illegal; operating a business/company with illegal Thai nominees is the problem.

19 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Okay, how much did they charge for tuition? What ages? Where they qualified teachers? Were the parents satisfied

That information would be completely irrelevant, surely?

Edited August 7Aug 7 by Liverpool Lou

11 hours ago, JerryM said:

So as per the above nominee arrangements and other entities "in a manner designed to circumvent the law" it sometimes only takes a complaint from someone maybe with a grudge to start things rolling.

Well of course, as we all know a lot of crimes are solved by information given to the police. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

they'd want to remain annonymous as best they could.

Does Thai law give the accused the right to confront the accuser?