51 Thais and 21 Chinese nationals working at an unnamed accounting firm in Bang Phli Yai, a modestly sized district on the eastern side of Bangkok, have been arrested for what appears to be an scheme to register Thais as owners of businesses not actually owned by Thais to skirt around Foreign Business Act rules that bar foreign owners.
OK but it wasn’t just that. Reports Bangkok Post:
The operation followed the arrest of a Chinese suspect, identified only as Lee, who was wanted on a red notice issued by Interpol on charges of extorting money from Chinese nationals, causing damages of 14 billion baht ($413 million USD). Lee and his accomplices established a firm to issue ID cards and visas, leading to numerous victims.
Following Lee’s arrest in early March, investigators discovered he had also hired the accounting firm in Bang Phli to register foreign companies using Thai nominees.
AND:
The investigation found that the firm was owned by a Chinese woman, Yian Zhao, alias Venus. She operated from China, coordinating with Chinese clients via WeChat and using the names of Thai employees as nominees.
The Bangkok Post has a couple pictures of the office which is what we’re here to talk about.
Look at all that fucking paper. A travesty. Maybe authorities wouldn’t have seized five title deeds, 332 company stamps, and ton of documents that’ll make their job much easier had this firm not left a literal paper trail.
