The Commerce Ministry has intensified scrutiny of suspected nominee businesses, with officials examining more than 100 foreign-linked restaurants in Huai Khwang as part of a wider nationwide crackdown.
Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of the Department of Business Development (DBD), said on Saturday the department's anti-nominee task force and various agencies inspected the area on Friday amid reports of Thai nationals serving as proxy shareholders, or nominees, and the employment of illegal foreign workers.
Mr Poonpong said tackling nominee businesses requires cooperation from all sectors and authorities must strictly enforce the laws. The department had submitted information on 53 juristic entities to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) for investigation.
The information was also forwarded to the Royal Thai Police's task force on illegal foreign business operations, the Revenue Department and the Metropolitan Police Bureau for further investigation too, he said.
Mr Poonpong said the department received information from the Huai Khwang district office on 112 restaurants with foreign participation and is conducting in-depth examinations. Similar information was requested from district offices across Bangkok's remaining 49 districts for review, he added.
He said the DBD's move is in line with Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun's policy to investigate foreign businesses suspected of circumventing the law through nominee arrangements. He also urged the public to help monitor suspicious business activities and report suspected nominee operations.
