Authorities in southern Thailand have arrested 27 people, including civil servants and Thai residents, over allegations that they helped migrant workers obtain Thai identification documents illegally.
The arrests took place in Kanchanadit and Koh Samui districts of Surat Thani on Wednesday and Thursday. Those detained included three officials, nine Thai house owners and 15 migrant workers, according to police.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Samran Nualma said Thai residents allegedly provided false information to confirm that migrant workers were Thai nationals, helping them obtain identification documents.
Police said the case involved Category 0 identification cards, which carry 13-digit identification numbers beginning with zero. Such cards are generally issued to stateless people, marginalised groups and residents in remote or border areas who lack formal civil registration.
The cards can provide holders with access to various basic public services and, under certain circumstances, a pathway toward applying for Thai citizenship.
The latest arrests followed an investigation stemming from a July raid in Don Sak district, where authorities uncovered another alleged case involving the fraudulent issuance of identification documents.
Police said registration-related fraud can take several forms, including the misuse of inactive identities, false birth registrations, sham marriages and the improper use of education-related rights.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the network and the role allegedly played by officials and Thai residents in helping migrants obtain the documents.
