Thai PM visits Koh Phangan over illegal foreign business concerns
Koh Phangan, Surat Thani – Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived on Koh Phangan today to tackle foreigners illegally running businesses, where he was warmly welcomed by Surat Thani Governor…
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited Koh Phangan on May 13 to address illegal foreign business activity and related offenses on the Surat Thani island, with the crackdown carrying significance for Phuket and other tourism hubs. Officials briefed him on nominee land ownership, unlawful commercial operations, public land encroachment and the influence of foreign groups in Koh Phangan and neighboring Koh Samui.
Authorities said concerns center on foreign nationals, including groups from Israel, Russia and several other countries, tied to unauthorized business operations, illegal employment, drug cases and unlicensed establishments. Governor Jumphot Wannachatsiri received Anutin on behalf of provincial officials and private-sector representatives.
Task force expanded with security agencies
Surat Thani set up a special task force in October 2025 to respond to the problems, then restructured it in April 2026 to bring security agencies into the operation.
On May 10, 2026, the task force adopted three measures. They cover land and business ownership checks targeting nominee arrangements and compliance with building control laws, security and public order monitoring for overstays and illegal work, and tighter immigration oversight on entry and exit controls, visa extensions and foreign resident registration.
Enforcement cases include labor, drugs and nominee probes
Law enforcement has pursued 353 cases linked to the campaign. Those include 133 cases under the Foreign Workers Act, 109 narcotics offenses, 20 nominee cases, 29 immigration violations, seven hotel law breaches and 55 other cases involving gambling, firearms and counterfeit currency.
The nominee investigations involved 21 companies linked to shareholders from Israel, France, Russia, the United States, Italy, Ukraine and other countries.
Officials also prosecuted 44 cases involving Israeli nationals, spanning drug offenses, illegal work, nominee arrangements, immigration violations and unlicensed childcare centers. Authorities revoked visas for 11 people identified as risks, while the province also launched anti-fake news operations.
Source: https://thephuketexpress.com/2026/05/13/prime-minister-visits-koh-phangan-to-tackle-illegal-foreign-business-challenges/
