Thai police arrest 11 foreigners in Bangkok and seize 1 billion baht in southern land in nominee crackdown

Thai authorities have escalated their enforcement against illegal foreign ownership, executing a series of coordinated raids across the country this week. In Bangkok, police raided 94 homes across four luxury estates, arresting 11 foreigners linked to a 6-billion-baht property network.

Simultaneously, officials seized over one billion baht worth of land across Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga. According to Thai Times, the southern operation specifically targeted suspected illicit corporate nominee structures.

The sweep is not limited to luxury real estate. In Chiang Mai, a 51-year-old French national was arrested for operating a tourist hostel for five years using a Thai nominee company. Down south, Phuket immigration and police executed search warrants at two international schools in Rawai, followed by the arrest of four suspects accused of operating an illegal school network through foreign nominees.

To systematize the crackdown, authorities have officially launched the "Samui Model" in Surat Thani. This new initiative is designed to curb the use of local proxies by foreign operators trying to circumvent business ownership rules in the tourism sector.

What this means for you

If you live, work, or invest in Thailand, the days of relying on a paper-only Thai partner are rapidly closing. The government is actively dismantling company structures where Thai nationals hold 51% of the shares but have no genuine financial involvement.

• Property owners: If your villa or land is held in a Thai company, make sure your Thai shareholders can prove they paid for their shares with their own money.
• Business operators: The "Samui Model" shows that everyday tourism businesses—like hostels, dive shops, and restaurants—are under direct scrutiny. Operating without proper licenses or through a proxy company carries an immediate risk of asset seizure.
• School staff and parents: Raids on international schools show that immigration authorities are cross-checking the corporate legitimacy of the institutions sponsoring education and work visas.

If your setup relies on a nominee structure, it is worth having a qualified Thai corporate lawyer review your compliance. Authorities are moving past warnings straight to asset seizures and arrests.