Krabi investigates villa operations involving Spanish citizens.

Yesterday, June 2, officials in Krabi province raided a luxury pool villa in Nong Thale sub-district, Mueang Krabi district. The operation was part of an investigation into the alleged use of nominees by foreign entrepreneurs. Krabi Governor Angkun Silatewakul led the raid after obtaining a search warrant from the Krabi Provincial Court for the villa, located on a plot of over 1 rai. The villa was registered as a joint venture between one Thai national and two Spanish nationals. Investigators found that the Spanish operators allegedly controlled the business, raising concerns that the Thai shareholder might have been used as a nominee to circumvent legal restrictions on foreign commercial activity. Krabi land officials filed a complaint with the Ao Nang police to initiate legal proceedings. The raid also revealed that the villa was allegedly rented out to foreign tourists daily without a hotel business license, as required by the Hotel Act of 2004. Officials are also checking whether the operator reported foreign guests to the Immigration Bureau, which is mandatory under Section 38 of the Immigration Act of 1979. Governor Angkun stated that this case is part of a province-wide review initiated after the Department of Business Development sent a list of 401 businesses suspected of operating through nominees to Krabi. So far, officials have searched eight of these businesses. One has already faced legal sanctions, while six entities were found to be linked to foreign nationals owning six plots of land. Angkun emphasized that the Department of Business Development must notify relevant authorities whenever there is a change in a company's shareholder structure, whether through officials or online systems, especially when foreigners acquire shares. According to him, this will help prevent repeat violations related to alleged nominee structures. Elsewhere, over 300 police officers raided 32 companies on Koh Phangan island as part of a crackdown on alleged foreign nominee businesses, supposedly using Thai nationals to own land on behalf of foreigners.