Tuesday, 18 August 2026, at 6:00 a.m., under the direction of Mr. Bhumivisan Kasemsook, Secretary-General of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), Pol.Lt.Col. Siripong Sritula, Deputy Secretary-General of the PACC; Mr. Natthaphong Srinak, Director of the Anti-Corruption Operations Group for Agencies under the Office of the Prime Minister; and officials from Corruption Suppression in Public Sector Division 5, the Office of the PACC, in cooperation with Mr. Narucha Khosasilvilai, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA); officials from DOPA N.I.C.E.; Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police; Pol. Maj. Gen. Theerachai Chamnarnmor, Deputy Commander of the Police Forensic Science Office; and police officers from the Investigation Division of Metropolitan Police Division 1 and the Investigation Unit of Din Daeng Police Station, launched an operation to arrest government officials and other individuals allegedly involved in illegally registering foreign nationals in household registration records and obtaining identification cards for persons without Thai nationality, commonly known as “pink cards,” whose identification numbers begin with the number 7. During the period from 2024 to the present, it was found that Din Daeng District Office had issued more than 2,347 such pink cards beginning with the number 7, an unusually high figure. Authorities therefore launched an operation involving searches at seven locations in Bangkok and Pathum Thani Province.

The operation followed a case in March 2026, when the Office of the PACC, together with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), arrested the Deputy District Chief of Wang Noi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. A total of six suspects were arrested, including a deputy district chief (a former head of the Registration and Identification Card Section), officials, employees, and a group of brokers. They were allegedly involved in fraudulently obtaining identification cards for persons without Thai nationality, particularly for foreign children under the age of 15. Subsequently, the public notified the Office of the PACC of another group allegedly engaging in similar misconduct to that uncovered in the Wang Noi case. The alleged activities took place in the Din Daeng Flats area of Bangkok.

The Office of the PACC subsequently joined forces with the Department of Provincial Administration and the Royal Thai Police to arrest Mr. P. (pseudonym), Mr. S. (pseudonym), and Ms. D. (pseudonym), who were officials of the Din Daeng District Office, as well as brokers allegedly involved in arranging for foreign children aged between 5 and 15 to fraudulently obtain pink identification cards. Three household owners were also apprehended. According to household registration records (Thor. Ror. 13), nearly 200 foreign children had been registered at the residences in question. Authorities also found more than 44 additional rooms suspected of having more than 16 foreign children registered at each address. In total, the registration records listed at least 1,366 foreign children, despite the fact that the rooms at the Din Daeng Flats measure only approximately 30–40 square meters each. Authorities conducted searches at various locations where evidence related to the alleged offenses was suspected to be located, including the residences of registration officials who had been authorized to act as registrars and were responsible for approving and issuing pink identification cards. Searches were conducted at a total of seven locations. The suspects were subsequently handed over to investigators at Din Daeng Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Preliminary findings indicate that similar practices may be occurring in several other areas. The Office of the PACC, the Department of Provincial Administration, the Royal Thai Police, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, as the authority responsible for the relevant registration process, will jointly launch further operations to investigate and suppress corruption involving the illegal registration of foreign nationals in household registration records. Such fraudulent registration can provide individuals with access to various rights and benefits, including public healthcare services, basic education, and permission to work. It may also enable them to conduct certain types of transactions with government agencies. Furthermore, if they meet all the qualifications prescribed under the Nationality Act, they may apply for Thai citizenship. Authorities emphasized that this issue could have significant implications for Thailand’s national security.