Complaints of kickback demands for oyster farming permits in Surat Thani

13 Sept 06:43 Key points summarised by AI

Oyster farmers in Surat Thani allege a fisheries official demands 10,000 baht kickbacks for processing permits and an additional 10,000 baht for their issuance.
Applications are reportedly funneled through a middleman closely associated with the official, who communicates these illicit payment demands.
Farmers claim they received permits for significantly smaller areas than applied for and suspect local companies are using nominees, violating rules reserving permits for local residents.
This situation mirrors past conflicts over farming areas, including violence, which prompted authorities to regulate the industry and reserve specific areas for oyster farms.

Nationwide crackdown launched on illegal nominee shareholders and land holdings

Yesterday 15:20 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal Thai nominee shareholders in foreign-run businesses and land holdings to safeguard national interests.
The government will integrate efforts across all relevant agencies to target illicit foreign operations, forced sales of illegally acquired property, and high-risk land ownership schemes.
Key strategies include auditing suspect land and building holdings, establishing a long-term monitoring system, and cross-referencing data from various authorities to trace ultimate beneficial owners.
Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that no influential figures or corrupt officials are above the law, promising straightforward prosecution, asset seizures, and protection for enforcing officers.
Beyond land ownership, the integrated crackdown will also extend to tackle transnational crimes, including drug and human trafficking.