Thai officials targeted 13 suspects in an alleged Koh Samui pink card fraud scheme that investigators say enabled Myanmar nationals with valid passports to obtain identification cards intended for people without Thai nationality or established civil-registration status.
The Department of Provincial Administration’s DOPA N.I.C.E. unit joined Surat Thani police and Koh Samui officials in raids yesterday, September 16. By the end of the operation, 12 suspects had either been arrested or surrendered, while a former senior Koh Samui municipal official told investigators he would surrender today, September 17.
Those already accounted for included a Koh Samui City Municipality registration and ID card officer, four Thai suspects accused of supporting the scheme and seven Myanmar nationals whom officials identified as Rohingya. The seven foreign suspects were arrested at residences in Bo Phut.
Investigators allege that the Myanmar nationals already held valid passports but falsely presented themselves as having no identity documents so they could be entered into Thailand’s civil-registration system.
Investigators allege the municipality processed applications before sending applicants to the district office to be photographed for so-called zero-number pink cards. The district office issued the cards after supporting records were certified by the municipality, according to investigators.
Pink cards are identification documents issued to certain people who do not hold Thai nationality. The cards carry a 13-digit identification number beginning with 0 or 00 and can be used for everyday identification, including dealings with hospitals, government offices and banks, buying SIM cards and travelling domestically under applicable rules.
They do not grant Thai citizenship, voting rights or the same legal status as a Thai national. Holding one also does not automatically replace immigration requirements such as visas or 90-day reporting.
The pink card fraud investigation grew out of an earlier operation in Don Sak district, Surat Thani, where officials investigated similar allegations involving Rohingya residents. DOPA N.I.C.E. said complaints subsequently pointed investigators towards Koh Samui.
Matichon reported that the registration officer and four Thai suspects who surrendered were granted bail. The registration officer posted 70,000 baht, while the four other Thai suspects each posted 50,000 baht. Police denied bail to the seven Myanmar nationals.
The Department of Provincial Administration said it would continue investigating registration fraud involving foreign nationals and warned that further action could follow against people who assist in improperly obtaining civil-registration status.
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The story Koh Samui officials linked to alleged ID card fraud as seen on Thaiger News.
