Government officials probed over 'fake citizenship in birth certificates'

Government officials are being probed for allegedly giving Chinese nationals fake Thai citizenship in birth certificates.

The officials were accused of handing out forged birth certificates to foreign nationals linked to organised crime in northeast Thailand.

Police said they are widening investigations into the racket after Kitipong Pongsurawet, mayor of Pho Klang municipality, filed a formal complaint at the Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station in Nakhon Ratchasima on April 24.

He claimed that a civil registrar was taking bribes between 10,000 and 30,000 baht per case to issue Thai citizenship to foreigners, many of whom were Chinese.

Police Colonel Sirichai Srichaipanya, superintendent of Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station, led police to investigate civil registration procedures at the municipality office on April 27.

He said: 'At present, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station has formally accepted the complaint and held a meeting to establish investigative guidelines.

‘Today, we inspected the site to review the birth registration procedures, using the information gathered to support the investigation.

‘We are identifying individuals to be summoned for questioning and compiling documentary and physical evidence for the case file.'

The Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) said at least 27 cases of irregularities were recorded, mostly involving Chinese nationals allegedly linked to illegal businesses and criminal activity.

Investigators found that the suspects used fake documents mimicking official hospital records to pass application checks. They then used the credentials of other staff members to process registrations to keep their own name off system records.

Authorities said the fraudulent activity remained unnoticed as it was 'carried out at the operational level'.

Mayor Kittipong said that of the 27 suspiciously registered births, at least five were linked to the same father despite living in different areas.

He added: 'Furthermore, it was discovered that the individuals registering the births did not actually exist.'

He said the process began with foreigners calling the civil registrar to apply for a birth certificate.

The official would then allegedly use colleagues' logins in their absence to input false data and print documents.

The operation exploited procedural loopholes by reporting original birth certificates as lost, then requesting officially certified replacements, effectively legitimising the false records.

Kittipong said the exact purpose of the fraudulent birth certificates remains unclear.

Police said the registrar suspect is facing multiple charges, and a disciplinary committee has been established to investigate further.

They added that all relevant parties, from the mayor to registration staff, will be interrogated.