DSI probes 'mass kickbacks'
Authorities believe the scheme may be linked to senior officials in the neighbouring country and could be worth more than 450 million baht.
The case reportedly involves payments of 2,500 baht per worker, allegedly demanded by private agencies facilitating online permit renewals, DSI spokesperson Pol Lt Col Woranan Srilam said yesterday.
Workers were told their applications would not be processed unless the fee was paid, despite no such requirement under official Labour Ministry regulations, he said, adding the investigation began after numerous complaints from employers and migrant workers.
On July 3, DSI officers searched four locations in Bangkok, including a recruitment agency in Khlong Sam Wa district. Officials seized documents, bank records, and digital evidence believed to show the movement of funds through mule accounts held by Thai and foreign nationals.
According to DSI estimates, more than 180,000 of all 280,000 Cambodian workers in the country have renewed their work permits.
If each was charged the 2,500-baht fee, the total amount collected could exceed 450 million baht, said Pol Maj Yutthana Praedam, director-general of the DSI, who led the July 3 raids. If all 280,000 were subjected to the fee, the figure could approach 700 million baht. Some of the funds were allegedly transferred to high-ranking Cambodian officials, Pol Maj Yutthana said.
Preliminary findings indicate that two to three Cambodian officials may be involved, as investigators have traced about 100 million baht in transfers from Thai accounts to those linked to these officials, he added. However, the DSI is still collecting full transaction records from various banks, and the total amount is expected to be even higher, he noted.
Investigators have also found some of the money was later returned to Thai individuals or companies, suggesting an attempt to conceal the financial trail, he said, adding the DSI was analysing bank statements and transaction records to confirm these links.
Authorities are also exploring whether the scheme fits the legal definition of a criminal organisation under Thai law. If so, participants could face charges related to organised crime and money laundering, said Pol Maj Yutthana.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
2 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Artificial intelligence boosts battle against illegal websites
Artificial intelligence has been deployed, enabling the shutdown of 100,000 gambling and porn sites per month, although more needs to be done to curb these illegal sites, according to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES). The DES now blocks up to 100,000 illegal websites per month, a tenfold increase from the previous monthly rate of 10,000, DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said. However, challenges remain due to the adaptability of criminal networks and the foreign-based infrastructure of many of these platforms. The update came during a Senate session in parliament yesterday, in response to an inquiry by Senator Dr Premsak Piayura, who raised concerns about ongoing cybercrime -- especially call centre scams, online gambling, and explicit content websites. Dr Premsak questioned why, despite the recent enforcement of the executive decree on the prevention and suppression of technological crime, citizens continue to fall victim to online fraud. "Scammers today are more cunning than ever. Even with repeated warnings, many realise the danger only after they've lost their money," he said. He pointed specifically to mobile operators, who now face increased legal responsibilities under the new law. Dr Premsak also inquired whether the newly established Cyber Crime Suppression Center (CCSC) was effectively functioning and whether inter-agency coordination remained an obstacle, a known weakness in Thai bureaucracy. Mr Prasert assured senators that coordination among agencies has improved, noting that since the decree came into force in May, the government has implemented financial, digital asset, and telecommunications measures, as well as created mechanisms for the reimbursement of victims. He said the CCSC had now been legally formalised and explained its central data platform has strengthened law enforcement's ability to act, significantly reducing the overall damage caused by scams. On the "mule accounts", the minister acknowledged improvements in tracing and shutting them down. However, the more stubborn problem remains the proliferation of gambling and pornographic websites. "In the past, we could only shut down about 10,000 sites a month. But today, with AI developed by the DES Ministry, we're able to block around 100,000 sites monthly," Mr Prasert said. "But the problem hasn't gone away -- these sites continuously change URLs and operate on overseas servers, making it hard to identify the operators and prosecute them." He added that while technical capacity has grown, legal challenges persist, particularly in identifying and taking action against foreign-registered platforms. Dr Premsak, meanwhile, urged the ministry to find ways to pressure foreign platforms, such as Facebook, to take responsibility when their services are used to defraud Thais. "We need to know how to bring these platforms under Thai jurisdiction or involve them in restitution when damage occurs," he emphasised. Mr Prasert reiterated that while technical solutions like AI have increased the government's ability to block harmful content, legal and diplomatic strategies will be needed to tackle foreign-based digital crime infrastructures. He also confirmed that the ministry plans to expand its outreach to vulnerable groups to help them avoid traps and know how to respond if they fall victim.
Bangkok Post
18 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thai govt targets Cambodia's landmine claims
The government is expected on Monday to finalise retaliatory responses to a recent landmine explosion in the Chong Bok border area of Ubon Ratchathani, near Cambodia, which left three Thai soldiers injured. Members of the government's ad hoc centre for the Thailand-Cambodia border, which includes officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various national security agencies, will meet at the National Security Council office today to formalise an official response, said R Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, its spokesman, on Sunday. The centre on Sunday held a closed-door meeting to discuss an initial course of action based on findings from the Second Army Region, which confirmed the explosion came from a newly planted landmine, he said. The landmines issue was yesterday subject to a heated back and forth between the Cambodia Mine Action Centre and the Thai army. Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodia Mine Action Centre, in an article by the Phnom Penh Post, dismissed speculation the mine had been planted by Cambodia. In the article, he referred to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention), which was ratified by Cambodia. "As for possible newly laid mines in Thailand, there have been a number of social media claims that the Thai military placed them," he said, as quoted by the newspaper. "There appears to be no proof that Thai authorities or demining NGOs have attempted to conduct a thorough investigation," he added. In response, Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), rejected the remarks by Heng Ratana, describing the claims as false, misleading and damaging to bilateral relations. Mr Heng Ratana also claimed to have photo and video evidence suggesting Thai troops had laid new landmines near the border, Maj Gen Winthai said. The landmines discovered near the Chong Bok border area and other locations were identified as PMN-2 anti-personnel mines manufactured in Russia, which the Thai army has never possessed, procured nor used in any military operations, especially in border areas, he said. The images and video clips, which were published by Cambodia's Fresh News outlet, he said, actually originated from training or clearance operations conducted by Thailand's Humanitarian Mine Action Center, not from active mine deployment. "The presentation of such information constitutes a distortion of facts and causes serious damage to Thailand," said Maj Gen Winthai. Mr Heng Ratana's claim the landmines were found on Thai territory, which therefore placed responsibility on Thailand under Article 5 of the 1997 Ottawa Convention -- which says a sovereign state is responsible for mine clearance within its territory -- only reinforces the fact that the mines were located within Thailand's sovereign domain, said the RTA spokesman. This, in turn, suggests an act of cross-border intrusion, with landmines being secretly planted on Thai soil, said Maj Gen Winthai, who also pointed out inconsistencies in Cambodia's own official statements. Lt Gen Malis Sophat, spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense, said a Thai soldier had stepped on a landmine inside Cambodian territory, which directly contradicts Mr Heng Ratana's assertion the mines were found within Thailand and were therefore the responsibility of Thai forces, according to Maj Gen Winthai. "The conflicting statements made by Cambodian officials reflect inconsistencies in their narrative and suggest a failed attempt to distort the facts, ultimately forcing them to backtrack on their own claims," said Maj Gen Winthai. He said Thailand strictly adheres to international humanitarian law and called on Cambodia to immediately cease spreading disinformation. "This could strain diplomatic relations and mislead the international community," he warned. In another development, members of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, the Dharma Army and the People's Centre for the Protection of the Monarchy, yesterday marched from their rally site at Chamai Maruchet Bridge to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, protesting against Wednesday's landmine incident. At the embassy, protesters delivered speeches from a loudspeaker truck, waved Thai national flags and condemned Cambodia over what they believed to be the planting of new landmines. The government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military, is currently considering filing a formal complaint with the United Nations over Cambodia's alleged violation of the Ottawa Convention, said Danuporn Punnakanta, spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party. This step is part of the ongoing process, with Thai authorities affirming that the landmines were newly planted by the other party, said the party spokesman. He added, however, that the government remains committed to resolving the border conflict through peaceful means in pursuit of lasting peace.
Bangkok Post
20 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Two more landmines found along border disputed by Cambodia
The army has found two more, new anti-personnel mines on Thai soil near the border with Cambodia where three Thai soldiers were injured by an exploding landmine last week. Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said on Monday that a patrol from the Suranaree Task Force found the two landmines near Chong Bok in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani province on Sunday. One of the mines was only about 30 centimetres from the spot where three soldiers were injured by the explosion of a Russian-made PMN-2 anti-personnel mine on Wednesday, the spokesman said. One of the soldiers lost his foot. The newly discovered mines were safely defused and removed, he said. The army has not said exactly how many newly sown anti-personnel mines have been found. It could be around a dozen given the statement last week by 2nd Army chief Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang that eight had been found, before the latest discoveries on Sunday. The Foreign Ministry on Sunday accused and condemned Cambodia for the use of anti-personnel mines in contravention of the Ottawa Convention banning their use. Cambodia and Thailand both signed it in 1997 and ratified and deposited it in 1998. 'The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel mines,' the ministry statement said. Cambodia has denied laying new mines that injured the three soldiers. However, the ministry said it had clear evidence. Thailand had never used the type of landmine being found. "Assessments and related evidence discovered by the responsible security agencies point to the conclusion that the laying of these mines was a blatant violation of international law," it said. Maj Gen Winthai said the army will meet the defence attaches of other countries on Tuesday and brief them on the latest finds. The spokesman also callled on the members of Asean and the international community to condemn Cambodia on the issue.
