Thailand's DSI opens special case in Pattaya nominee crackdown
Ministers met to coordinate action against offences by foreign nationals, transnational crime and scammers, while officials reported progress in a Pattaya nominee investigation.
- Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has accepted a case involving nominee arrangements in Pattaya as a "special case".
- The case was elevated to this status because it met the DSI's criteria of involving substantial financial losses and impacting the economic system.
- The investigation stems from an August 20 search of a Pattaya company owned by Maimon David Marciano, where authorities seized a large volume of evidence.
- This action is part of a wider, integrated government effort involving multiple ministries and agencies to combat transnational crime and illegal business arrangements by foreigners.
Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun and Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthaphon Naowarat led a meeting at Government House on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) to integrate data for efforts to prevent and suppress offences by foreign nationals and combat transnational crime, scammers and nominee arrangements.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwanchawee and Deputy Digital Economy and Society Minister Nan Boonthida Somchai attended, along with representatives from several agencies, including the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Department of Lands.
The meeting followed a session of the subcommittee tasked with examining and suppressing technology-related and transnational crime.
Rutthaphon said the earlier talks had allowed agencies to discuss the issue, present proposed approaches and identify obstacles while preparing for enforcement action and monitoring implementation progress.
The Interior Ministry and the Royal Thai Police had already achieved substantial results through their joint work, according to Rutthaphon.
He noted that the DSI could accept a matter as a special case only if it involved substantial financial losses.
An operation targeting nominee arrangements involved a search of Maimon David Marciano’s company in Pattaya, Chonburi province, on August 20, during which authorities seized a large volume of important documents and evidence.
The DSI has now accepted the matter as a special case because it met the criteria relating to substantial financial losses and an impact on the economic system, allowing further action under the law.
