22 foreign workers detained at Chalong construction site in Phuket

Phuket officials said they detained 22 foreign nationals, including 19 Chinese and three Myanmar workers, after they were unable to present valid work permits or identification documents during an inspection at a construction site in Chalong.

The workers were taken to the Phuket Provincial Volunteer Defence Corps headquarters for identity verification and legal proceedings, officials said.

The inspection took place at about 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, and was carried out by a joint task force led by the Phuket vice governor. The operation also involved the deputy director of the Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command, the deputy commander of Phuket Provincial Police, and officials from the provincial employment office, provincial administration, labor authorities, the Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office, the Immigration Office and provincial police.

Officials said the arrests reflected a recurring pattern seen during recent inspections, particularly involving Chinese nationals employed in construction and supervisory roles.

The vice governor said the crackdown would go beyond routine arrests and would include scrutiny of company structures, shareholders and funding sources to determine whether any nominee businesses were involved. He said the "Phuket Model" is intended to identify not only illegal workers but also the organizers and ultimate beneficiaries of unlawful business activities.

"Phuket has no place for illegal activities," he said, adding that legitimate investors complying with Thai law had nothing to fear.

Officials said the approach is in line with a broader government policy to suppress nominee businesses and unlawful foreign enterprises while protecting legitimate investors who comply with Thai law.

Authorities added that daily inspections of foreign workers and businesses suspected of using nominee structures are already underway in Phuket, with investigators examining financial transactions and links between those involved.

Police will also conduct detailed interviews with those detained to establish how they entered Thailand, who recruited them and whether they had been brought into the country illegally.

Officials did not identify the construction site raided or the employer of the detained workers.