Citizenship bust targets 5,000 ‘fake Thais’ in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai — A fake citizenship bust conducted by local administrators and migrants in northern Thailand reportedly targeted around 5,000 "fake Thais." Deputy Interior Minister Worasit Liangprasit disclosed that approximately 200 police and administrative officials executed the arrests in Chai Prakan district on Wednesday morning, uncovering a network of fraudulent citizenship issuance.

The deputy minister explained that corrupt officials and Thai property owners were allegedly involved in providing Category 0 ID cards to migrants, enabling them to claim Thai citizenship without proper house registration records.

According to Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Samran Nualma, the operation was part of a broader crackdown on fake Thai citizenship. Authorities have discovered numerous irregularities, including forged house registrations, incomplete fingerprint collection, and fabricated official documents. The investigation has compiled sufficient evidence against 35 suspects, comprising nine government officials, three Thai property owners, and 23 migrants.

During Wednesday's raid at 35 locations, authorities apprehended 20 suspects, including a former assistant chief of Chai Prakan, a tambon chief, a village headman, eight Thai property owners, and nine Myanmar nationals.

The suspects are suspected to be part of a gang that illegally issued Category 0 ID cards to migrant workers in Chai Prakan and other areas. Category 0 ID cards are typically issued to Thai citizens without house registration records, providing them access to fundamental rights such as education, employment, medical treatment, and complete Thai citizenship.

Narucha Kosacivilize, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, stated that the bust had previously led to the revocation of Thai nationality for 75 migrants, and an ongoing investigation has identified an additional 4,947 individuals suspected of being migrants.