Police in Thailand have broken up a large network that illegally helped foreigners, mostly Russians, to stay in the country long-term, authorities say.
Thai police have broken up a large network that illegally helped foreigners, mostly Russians, to stay in Thailand long-term through the use of company nominees or shell companies, officials said Friday. Police said a 45-year-old Russian woman who came to Thailand in 2012 operated the scheme with a Thai woman who was listed as an executive or a shareholder of more than 270 companies in the southern province of Phuket.
The defendants offered a service in which foreigners could be listed as a shareholder of a business with a Thai partner or be employed by a shell company owned by Thais in order to get a work permit, said Puttidej Bunkrapue, commander of the police Economic Crime Suppression Division. A total of 98 foreigners, including 68 Russians, have been accused of operating businesses without a permit, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $27,000 fine, police said.
Phuket is a major tourist destination and is particularly popular among Russians. Police said more than 90,000 Russians have arrived in the province from 2019 to early 2024. They said there has also been a sharp increase in the number of company registrations by Russians in Phuket. More than 1,600 companies have been registered under Russian names from 2023 to early 2024, compared to approximately 30 companies per year in 2016-2022, they said.
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