The Royal Thai Police (RTP) will work with the Interior Ministry to revoke the Thai citizenship of a Chinese woman who has a long history of alleged involvement in fraud, human trafficking, surrogacy and document forgery.
The 53-year-old Chinese woman, identified as Navaporn Phakiatsakul, was arrested on April 8 in a building on Silom Road in Bang Rak district following a crackdown on four spots in Bangkok, one of which was her house in Sathon soi 10 in Yannawa district.
Ms Navaporn would give false information to authorities to help her compatriots obtain non-citizen identification cards, or pink cards, by claiming they were relatives who had moved to her house, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Saturday.
A probe showed Ms Navaporn obtained her Thai citizenship after marrying a Thai man around 1988-1989. She divorced her husband in 1991, before obtaining citizenship in 1992.
"Afterwards, she became a surrogate mother for Chinese nationals, resulting in all her children legitimately having Thai nationality, with the right to own assets and land worth billions of baht in the kingdom," Pol Gen Surachate said.
In addition, Ms Navaporn would also procure other women for surrogacy, who then gave birth in a neighbouring country with the cooperation of Thai doctors. Police found that 26 women in the building claimed to be Ms Navaporn's relatives, as recorded at Bang Rak District Office.
However, Pol Gen Surachate said police suspect there may be more surrogate mothers as they investigate a seized thumb drive.
"Ms Navaporn also forged entry documents for other surrogate mothers. Despite having clear evidence against her, she still denies the charges," he said.
Pol Gen Surachate said police will coordinate with Public Health Ministry to check the list of doctors associated with these cases.
Police also pressed charges against her for falsifying and using fake official documents, giving false information to authorities and using fake visa stamps on international travel documents. "The woman will face punishment in Thailand first before she and all her children are deported," Pol Gen Surachate said.
He has discussed with the permanent secretary for the interior about revoking Ms Navaporn's Thai citizenship though she would find executing such business ventures difficult anyway once she is deported.
