The Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) moved last Thursday to seize the entire business of a luxury hotel in Samut Prakan run by a company in which Mr Chaiyanat Kornchayanant or Du Hao, the alleged Chinese drug kingpin, is a shareholder. At the scene were officials from the state security agency and police led by General Surachate Hakparn who revealed that more prosecutions are to come in what is still an expanding case.
Whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit warned this week that gang-related Chinese nationals were approaching expectant Thai fathers at private hospitals and prenatal care centres to give their names to children expected to be born to pregnant Chinese women to obtain Thai citizenship for newborn babies which can subsequently be used for asset purchases and the establishment of Thai companies to funnel illegal Chinese capital into Thailand. These revelations came before General Surachate Hakparn working with the Du Hao task force, on Thursday, together with officials of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) seized a huge hotel in Samut Prakan with land assets alone valued at ฿2.97 billion.
Last Wednesday, Thailand’s Attorney-General Naree Tantasathien signed an order citing the organisation of Du Hao or Mr Chaiyanat Kornchayan as a transnational criminal organisation and also classified Mr Chaiyanat himself as a threat to national security.
It came at the same time as Mr Chuwit Kamolvisit came forward with another extraordinary press conference at the Davis Hotel in Bangkok where he emphasised the same point and insisted that the empire of Mr Du Hao was established both inside and outside the kingdom.
The latest development will increase the pressure on the Palang Pracharat Party, the ruling party in the outgoing coalition government, which has admitted to accepting a donation from Mr Chaiyanat Kornchayanant of ฿3 million in 2021 in respect of which a complaint was filed with the Election Commission in late October by constitutional activist Srisuwan Janya under Section 74 of the organic law on political parties which could, if upheld and referred to the Constitutional Court, lead to the party being dissolved by order of the court.
In the last decade, Chinese nationals sought to channel money out of the communist country
At the event, complete with whiteboard drawings and a pointer, an animated Mr Chuwit outlined another exploit of the Chinese criminal gang in Thailand over the last decade and particularly since the beginning of the pandemic which has seen many people from Communist China with capital, seeking to exit the country.
Political quake brewing over nightclub Chinese donor which could see ruling party dissolved
Arrest and detention of alleged Chinese crime boss puts political pressure on Palang Pracharat Party
Luxury hotel in Samut Prakan is legit says woman linked with Du Hao’s sprawling business empire
He said that Chinese parents had sought out Thai fathers at private hospitals and prenatal facilities offering to pay money to have babies belonging to similarly pregnant Chinese women registered as Thai nationals and in doing so, obtain Thai citizenship.
Mr Chuwit outlined that at 7 years of age the children were able to obtain Thai national identity cards and at 13 years of age were being used, as legitimate Thai citizens, in launching Thai companies where 51% of the shares were either directly or indirectly controlled by the Chinese families concerned.
Thai companies, 51% indirectly controlled by Chinese families through children, have all the rights of Thai citizens and added benefits under Thai law
Under Thai law, as elsewhere in the world, a Thai company or juristic person has all the rights enjoyed by a Thai citizen in terms of asset ownership and dealings in addition to other benefits according to company law when it comes to trading and doing business in Thailand.
In this way, Mr Chuwit said that this criminal organisation and the activities it sponsored were a major threat to the security of the Thai state.
In the course of his press conference, Mr Chuwit also repeated earlier claims about corruption within the Royal Thai Police which he said he was willing to detail personally to the National Police Commissioner.
Chuwit forwarded valuable information and allegations of corruption within the Royal Thai Police that are now being investigated at the highest level
On Thursday, the 8th of December, the police chief General Damrongsak Kittiprapat established a high-ranking civil service committee to examine the activities of three senior police officers at the rank of general within the Immigration Bureau who are being investigated because of information supplied by Mr Chuwit concerning the ability of the Chinese gang to have Non-Immigrant ED or student visas issued to incoming Chinese tourists without ever having to leave the country again.
The high-powered panel made up of top civil servants and officers is expected to report by December 23rd.
In the last two weeks, the former politician turned social activist has supplied documentary evidence to the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Royal Thai Police as part of the expanding probe.
Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin calls for more citizens to be like Mr Chuwit, blow the whistle on wrongdoing and so collect 5% of assets seized
Mr Chuwit has also been singled out for praise by the Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin who encouraged other Thai citizens to also come forward and blow the whistle on corruption and wrongdoing in the kingdom wherever they see it.
Minister Somsak has pointed out that up to 5% of assets frozen as a result of such information, as in Mr Chuwit’s case, would be paid to the whistleblower.
Last week, while addressing reporters, Mr Chuwit warned that Mr Du Hao, currently being held in prison after being denied bail of three drug distribution charges, will eventually strike back and indicated that the drug kingpin had allocated a war chest of ฿500 million to a right-hand man to ‘operate on this case’ for him.
Mr Chuwit had been asked by reporters if he was not at all concerned that he may be the subject of an assassination attempt on his life given the trouble he was making for the alleged international drug kingpin.
Luxury Samut Prakan Hotel and its entire business seized by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) on Thursday, more prosecutions to follow says Big Joke
On Thursday, General Surachate Hakparn or ‘Big Joke’ who continues to play a pivotal coordinating role in the investigation despite a reorganisation of personnel announced by the National Police Commissioner General Damrongsak earlier in the week, was present together with officials with the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) when a luxury hotel on 37 rai of land was seized by the agency in Samut Prakan province.
The hotel is owned by a company linked with Mr Du Hao or Mr Chaiyanat Kornchayanant.
General Surachate said that the police were now working closely with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in pursuit of this case and had frozen the assets including the land on which the hotel was sited, a total of seven lots as well as the hotel’s bank accounts.
He said that the state has now taken control of the entire business for which the land alone has an estimated value of ฿2.97 billion.
The top police officer vowed that all parties concerned in the affair will be held accountable and will ultimately face prosecution.
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Further reading:
Top Immigration Bureau officers investigated by high-level panel over Chinese corruption claims
Chinese-controlled Thai language schools used by criminal network to obtain visas for associates
Arrest and detention of alleged Chinese crime boss puts political pressure on Palang Pracharat Party
Chuvit claims Chinese gangster billionaire may be still at large in Thailand as is his executive jet
Net set to widen on Chinese money gangs, top police officer warns of powerful financial interests
Colourful Bangkok former sex industry tycoon Chuwit told to quit sniping by an aide to the PM
Police unearth huge new threat from Chinese drug cartels with ฿300 million seized in Bangkok
Chinese links to nightlife underworld and police collusion being investigated in drugs crackdown
Shock police probe into drug dealing and money laundering linked with Myanmar to strain ties
Drugs to be an election issue as Anutin digs in insisting that attitudes must change on cannabis
Marijuana revolution and overdoses raise concern with calls for action to outlaw recreational use
One of the biggest drug dealers in the South flees home as Thai police and army move against him
Thai man burns down his family home: Thailand’s drugs problem is still a very real threat to society
UK man arrested on drugs charges by CSD police in Pattaya claims ex Thai wife set him up
UK drug dealers living it up in Thailand to be deported back to the UK after arrests in Pattaya
Italian living with Thai wife on Koh Phangan arrested for dealing after drugs found in the post
UK drug dealers living it up in Thailand to be deported back to the UK after arrests in Pattaya
About the Author
Carla Boonkong & Pranee O’ Connor
Carla Boonkong is a magazine writer who writes extensively about woman’s issues in Thailand. One of her key subjects is the story of Thailand’s growing influence in the world and the role played by Thai women in the process. She is now a staff writer with Thai Examiner.com in Bangkok. Son Nguyen is an international writer and news commentator specialising in Thai news and current affairs. He commenced working with the Thai Examiner News Desk in May 2018.
