Thailand flags 33 tourism firms, including in Phuket, in nominee crackdown

Thai authorities have flagged 33 tourism businesses in five provinces, including Phuket, for potential illegal nominee activity and revoked the licences of four tour operators, according to the Department of Business Development and the Department of Tourism.

The crackdown covers inspections carried out from January to June 2026 in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Chon Buri, Krabi and Bangkok. Authorities said the campaign targets foreign-operated tourism businesses that allegedly use Thai nationals as nominees.

The Department of Business Development said it is working with the Department of Tourism and other agencies to use artificial intelligence and information technology to identify high-risk operators. Officials are also tightening checks on company registrations and linking government databases in real time to monitor changes in company structures.

According to the department, four tour operators were found to have changed directors or shareholders in ways that caused them to lose required qualifications under the Tourism Business and Guide Act. The registrar of tour businesses and guides then ordered their licences revoked.

Information on the remaining 29 operators has been sent to relevant agencies for deeper investigation. Authorities said that if illegal business operations are confirmed, agencies will strictly enforce the law against all involved.

Department of Business Development director-general Poonpong Naiyanapakorn said officials had discussed measures to prevent foreigners from operating tour and tourism-related businesses through Thai nominees. He said the agencies had also reviewed procedures to reflect current conditions, especially cases involving nominee structures.

Among the measures under discussion are closer scrutiny of company registration patterns, particularly where Thai nationals appear as directors of unusually large numbers of companies. Authorities are also considering checks on applicants' education, occupation, economic status, income information and personal income tax records from the past three years, as well as possible interviews before tour business licences are granted.

Officials said these checks could also apply when companies change directors or shareholders. In addition, agencies plan to build a database linking tour business licence records with the Department of Business Development system, with alerts to help authorities quickly detect structural changes.

Authorities also plan to create a database of shops and businesses linked to tour companies to help inspect broader tourism networks and watch for possible tax evasion or money laundering. That system would involve cooperation with the Revenue Department and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.

Poonpong said several agencies, including the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Department of Special Investigation, the Tourist Police Bureau and the Immigration Bureau, had already signed a memorandum of understanding to tackle nominee structures in the tourism sector. A joint operations centre has also been set up to handle complaints and share intelligence.

He said nominee businesses have become more sophisticated in concealing their activities and that stronger cooperation and technology-based screening are needed to improve enforcement.