Bribery Allegations in Citizenship Registration Process Spark Investigation
The House Committee on Local Administration is delving into allegations of bribery in the citizenship registration process, with a committee member stating that there is substantial evidence supporting these claims in at least five cases.
Committee Meeting and Allegations
A meeting of the House Committee on Local Administration was held on Wednesday to focus on the procedures for granting citizenship to those who have resided in Thailand for an extended period or were born within its borders but lack citizenship. The gathering also featured appearances from key officials, including the permanent secretary of the interior, Nirat Phongsitthithawon, the director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration (DoPA), and the governors of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
Bhumjaithai Party MP for Ang Thong, Korrawee Prissananantakul, who chairs the committee, revealed that complaints were raised during the meeting regarding misconduct in the citizenship application process. Specifically, there was a reported conversation between an applicant seeking citizenship and a state official. The official allegedly asked for bribe money in exchange for facilitating the application.
Evidence of Bribery
Mr Korrawee stated that the committee has evidence indicating a transaction involving 30,000 baht. This amount was described as payment for "processing" the citizenship application, with an initial upfront payment of 10,000 baht being required. However, the applicant possessed only 8,000 baht and necessitated another 2,000 baht.
Multiple instances similar to this case have arisen, according to Mr Korrawee, amounting to four or five in total. In response to these allegations, the DoPA has dispatched a team to investigate further, including whether village headmen and district chiefs are involved in collecting bribes. Moreover, higher-ranking officials may also be implicated, as granting citizenship can be processed at the district level.
Implementation of Cabinet Resolution
A cabinet resolution issued in October 2024 paved the way for nearly half a million migrants who meet the criteria to obtain Thai citizenship. Mr Korrawee explained that this initiative will remain in effect until June 2026, serving as the foundation for the ongoing citizenship project.
In conjunction with these developments, Mr Nirat, from the DoPA, visited Chiang Mai’s Fang district on Tuesday to inspect the implementation of the cabinet resolution regarding legal status applications. Local officials reported difficulties stemming from limited office space and staffing shortages, which resulted in delays faced by applicants. To mitigate this issue, the agency has secured additional office tools and hired more personnel to process 100 applicants per day.
Citizenship Project Progress
In the past three months, a total of 8,200 applicants have successfully obtained citizenship. According to projections, nearly 23,000 people are expected to complete the process within the next nine months, as stated by Mr Nirat.
Separately, Fang district chief Nopparut Suphakitgosol disclosed that the village headman in tambon Mae Kha accused of charging each applicant 4,000 baht for processing has resigned.