Phuket officials face corruption probe as suspect dies in Thalang police cell
1- Anutin orders probe into officials over foreign nominee firms and land encroachment
A Phuket Xtra report published Friday, May 15, said a corruption probe had been ordered into Phuket officials over foreign nominee firms and land encroachment, while an attempted murder suspect was found dead in a Thalang Police cell. The May 15 roundup linked the two developments in a broader slate of Phuket and Thailand news carried by The Phuket News.
The report was hosted by JP Mestanza and published at 5:41pm on May 15, 2026. It was released under the Phuket Xtra video bulletin format.
Land and nominee firm scrutiny widens
The corruption case cited in the roundup concerns officials allegedly tied to foreign nominee firms and land encroachment. The same report pointed to a related story in which Deputy Prime Minister Anutin ordered the probe.
Another linked report said a Phuket court denied bail for “Sia Lek” over concerns about witness tampering. The roundup also referenced a wider national push under the headline “Thailand moves to uproot illegal foreign activities.”
A separate item in the same bulletin said a minister had ordered access to Nui Beach restored. That added another land-use issue to the day’s coverage.
Crime, enforcement and infrastructure updates
Beyond the Thalang cell death, the roundup included a report about a teen caught with a modified gun and bullets. It also pointed to Thalang drug raids that netted users, a dealer and 200 meth pills.
The bulletin referenced another May 14 Phuket Xtra segment about a Swede caught with 5 guns and a Rawai sex trafficking raid. A related story listed in the package said a teen was rescued in that Rawai operation.
The final item highlighted road-lighting policy, saying dimmed lights on rural roads cut power costs by 40%. The roundup also linked to a report on Patong nightlife operators protesting extortion and licensing delays.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-xtra-video-phuket-officials-under-fire-pm-orders-corruption-probe-suspect-dead-in-police-cell-may-15-100248.php
