UPDATE: Phuket police arrest four over alleged nominee network linked to schools in Chalong and Rawai

Phuket police have arrested four people over an alleged nominee network involving three companies operating private international schools in Chalong and Rawai, authorities said. The suspects include two Canadian nationals and two Thai nationals, according to The Phuket News.

Police said the alleged scheme involved Thai nationals helping to register and establish companies, allowing the foreign nationals to control their operations in an attempt to circumvent restrictions under Thailand’s Foreign Business Act 1999. The Phuket News described the operation as involving a private international school with branches in Chalong and Rawai.

The investigation was conducted under Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, and Pol. Col. Surasak Jaidee, superintendent of Chalong Police Station. The Phuket Provincial Court issued arrest warrants for the four suspects, while legal proceedings were also initiated against the three companies, police said.

On 5 August 2026, Pol. Lt. Col. Chayakorn Tangsakul, chief investigator at Chalong Police Station, led officers in executing the warrants. The four suspects were apprehended and handed over to investigators for prosecution under the Foreign Business Act.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities trace other people and corporate entities that may be linked to the alleged nominee network. Police have not publicly released the suspects’ full names or identified the schools.