Birth certificate scam probe widens

Over 60 people now under scrutiny

PUBLISHED : 18 Jul 2026 at 05:35

More than 60 people are suspected of involvement in a fake birth registration network, while police and health officials are expanding probes into eight hospitals.

Pol Gen Samran Nualma, deputy national police chief, said that the earlier 40 arrest warrants had been executed, leaving around 22 others, including two ringleader suspects, still at large overseas, whom police believed had changed their nationalities to evade the warrants.

The investigation had since expanded to four to five hospitals that may relate to the scheme. These hospitals are not just in the Thon Buri area, he said.

Meanwhile, a source from the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) said the investigation is ongoing at eight hospitals in Bangkok that may relate to the fraudulent nationality scheme.

Investigations are now focused on identifying hospital workers who adopted Thai men's names to replace those of Chinese men, while the Chinese mothers retained their identity. Officers will also look into Thon Buri district officers involved in the false registrations.

According to the source, the investigation found a similar pattern of fraud at each hospital.

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said on Friday that no state-run hospitals are found to be involved in the scheme so far.

If false information is found, especially in cases where the mother is a foreigner but the father is listed as Thai when he is not the biological father, officials will conduct a DNA test to verify the blood relationship before proceeding with legal action.

Dr Phuwadej Surakhot, director-general of DHSS, said the initial review of medical records from two hospitals identified four individuals who require further investigation.

Four other private hospitals will also be investigated in a similar manner, focusing on cases in which the mother is a foreigner but the father is listed as Thai, to confirm whether the person named on the birth certificate is the biological father.

The DHSS is reviewing measures to prevent loopholes in the issuance of birth certificates. This may include verifying the identity of those claiming paternity, such as by checking their national identification card, before recording the information on the document to prevent fraudulent claims, he said.

People's Party (PP) deputy leader and MP Piyarat Chongthep said he was informed by a source that the fake birth registration network had been operating since at least 2023 and was linked to a hospital in the Rama IX area.

"What will the government do next with these children? After their citizenship is revoked, will they still have Chinese citizenship? Will they be allowed to reside in Thailand, or will they be deported? There has been no indication from the government on what action to take," said the MP.