Pol. Lt. Gen. Yingyos Thepjamnong, Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, said authorities are collaborating with the Surat Thani provincial government, the Land Department, the Department of Business Development and other agencies to investigate foreign individuals using Thai proxies to hold land or operate businesses. Preliminary findings suggest some suspected Israeli nationals may face multiple charges: including using nominee structures, operating car rental services without permits, and conducting unlicensed tour or rental operations. He emphasised that all investigations would adhere to the principles of transparency, fairness and the rule of law.

The heightened enforcement follows several high-profile raids earlier in 2025. In February, police targeting the “Seabreeze” luxury villa development on Koh Samui—alleged to encroach on hillside land in Chaweng Noi—raided seven locations, including a law firm suspected of facilitating nominee networks. The case exposed a web of over 160 companies allegedly set up for foreign investors, spanning villa rentals, restaurants and tourism services. The developer was identified as a German national. Documents, accounting records and hard drives were seized for further analysis.

Elsewhere, a 54-year-old German man was arrested on Koh Phangan in July. He allegedly used Thai nominee shareholders to conceal ownership of four companies linked to illicit activities, including a transnational scam network targeting Australian investors. Thai authorities seized assets exceeding 19 million baht in cash, cryptocurrency and real property. The arrest came after cooperation with the Australian Federal Police.

In the same vein, law enforcement has pursued other cases of misuse of nominee structures. In Samui, a French businesswoman’s estate drew scrutiny after her substantial villa and land holdings—willed to a long-time housemaid—were revealed to have been controlled via nominee companies (GVN.E Co Ltd and Maxicat Co Ltd). The investigation led to criminal charges against two Thai nationals alleged to have assisted in arranging the nominee arrangement, and raised the possibility that state authorities could reclaim the assets.

At a related level, Thailand’s regulatory authorities have begun preemptive reforms. The government is seeking to tighten oversight of nominee transactions across key provinces, including Koh Samui. A draft plan tasks the Department of Business Development with screening suspicious companies, deploying AI-powered detection tools, and establishing temporary interagency task forces under “Operation Pithak Samui.” Proposed legislative changes would redefine “nominee” and expand penalties for those facilitating such arrangements, including lawyers. The plan also targets farmland nominee schemes under the Ministry of Agriculture and calls for stronger coordination between land, business, judicial and anti-money laundering authorities.

In another development on Koh Samui, two Israeli tourists were arrested for exchanging counterfeit U.S. dollar notes after converting them into Thai baht at a Government Savings Bank kiosk at the airport. Matan Moshe (25) and Omer Sarusi (28) were taken into custody at their Bo Phut lodging after police found in their possession 48 $100 notes, 17 $50 notes, and 3 $1 notes. The pair claim ignorance of their illegitimacy. They now face charges of forging and possessing counterfeit foreign banknotes.

The intensified enforcement underscores Thailand’s dual priorities: safeguarding its property and economic sovereignty, especially in major tourist magnet zones, while preserving investor confidence through legal certainty and rule-based regulation. As the investigations deepen, authorities are sending a clear signal that attempts to bypass statutory limits via covert nominee structures or illegal operations will face serious legal consequences.