DSI signed an MOU as part of the Joint Operations Center to Solve the Problem of Nominees in the Tourism Business

On December 13, 2023, the Department of Tourism (DOT), Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS), held a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the resolution of the problem of tourism businesses using Thai people as nominees. The MOU is a collaboration of 6 agencies, including the DOT, Office of Permanent Secretary of the MOTS, the Department of Business Development (DBD), the DSI, Tourist Police Bureau, and Immigration Bureau. This signing ceremony was presided over and witnessed by Mr. Kitti Chaodee, Secretary to the MOTS, at Centra by Centara Government & Convention Chaeng Watthana. On behalf of the DSI, Police Captain Piya Raksakul, Deputy Director-General, signed the MOU.

Within the scope of cooperation, the DOT will establish a joint operations center to solve the problem of tourism businesses using Thai people as nominees, abbreviated as "ศปต.", which is located at the DOT. It will also establish a working group with relevant agencies to solve this problem together under the framework of four areas of cooperation: 1. Business registration and licensing, 2. Information sharing, 3. Supervision and prevention, and 4. Tourism business promotion, in order to raise the standard and quality of tourism businesses for sustainability.

Initially, the focus will be on identifying companies that are at risk, such as companies with foreign shareholders. These companies must be checked to make sure that foreign shareholders do not hold more than 49.99% of shares. If it does not exceed this limit, the next step is to see if they have control over the company's internal management and have more voting rights than Thai shareholders who hold 51% of the shares. If so, then they may be considered nominees.