Koh tao: The Ministry of Commerce, along with the Department of Tourism, the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Tourist Police Division, and the Immigration Bureau, conducted a comprehensive inspection of nominee arrangements on Koh Tao, uncovering violations of the Tourism Business and Tour Guide Act. The inspection revealed foreigners working without permits, prompting further investigation into potential nominee arrangements.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of the Department of Business Development, disclosed that on August 17, 2026, he assigned the nominee suppression team from the Division for Prevention and Suppression of Illegal Businesses to scrutinize tour businesses on Koh Tao, Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province. This initiative was part of a memorandum of understanding aimed at tackling tourism businesses using Thai nationals as nominees. The operation focused on companies with tour licenses and foreign shareholders, targeting 12 companies in total.
During the inspection, two significant violations were detected. The first involved a tour company whose directors and shareholders claimed the company offered diving lessons and was seeking a hostel license. However, it was discovered that the company had one foreign director and one Thai director with authorized positions, violating the Tourism Business and Tour Guide Act B.E. 2551 (2008), which mandates that more than half of the directors must be Thai nationals. Consequently, the Department of Tourism revoked the company's tour license, and a foreign national teaching diving without a work permit faced action from the Immigration Police. The Department of Business Development is further investigating the possibility of the company operating as a nominee entity.
Another violation involved a tour company operating without a branch license, prompting the Department of Tourism to take appropriate legal measures. Meanwhile, an investigation into ten additional target companies revealed that one company was temporarily closed, while the others predominantly engaged in diving-related activities. The foreign investors in these companies were of various nationalities, but their shareholding and director proportions adhered to tourism regulations, with foreign directors and employees holding valid work permits.
Mr. Poonpong emphasized that the Department will continue to monitor nominee businesses using advanced database linkage systems and risk analysis technology to identify and scrutinize legal entities suspected of illegal activity. Collaboration between partner agencies will be strengthened to ensure strict enforcement of laws, aiming for tangible results in combating nominee businesses. The Department also urged Thai and foreign businesses to adhere to domestic business laws to foster transparent practices and maintain public confidence.