Koh Samui Nominee Crackdown: 60 Cases Opened in One Day

A large raid on Koh Samui on 15 August 2026 opened 60 nominee cases against 88 suspects, linked to land worth about 1.2 billion baht.

More than 300 police and government officials carried out a coordinated operation against suspected nominee businesses on Koh Samui on Saturday 15 August 2026. According to The Nation, the operation opened 60 cases against 88 suspects and covered property with an estimated value of 1.2 billion baht.

What the operation covered

The Nation reports that a deputy interior minister and a deputy national police chief led the operation, with officers from the Department of Business Development and the Department of Special Investigation. The Koh Samui Provincial Court approved 37 search warrants.

The figures given in the report are:

60 cases against 88 suspects: 26 Thai nationals and 62 foreigners.
14 foreign nationals arrested, including four Chinese and four British nationals, and one each from Italy, France, the Netherlands, Austria, the Philippines and the United States.
37 plots of land and buildings, about 5.05 hectares in total, valued at around 1.2 billion baht.
Five business networks under scrutiny.

The alleged offences listed in the report include illegal property development, operating a business without a licence, false visa applications, tax avoidance and the use of nominee shareholders. These are allegations.

How the companies were selected

The operation followed a review of company records. The Nation says officials looked at 12,906 companies registered on Koh Samui. Of these, 8,254 had foreign shareholders and 875 showed signs that officials associate with nominee structures. From that group, 59 companies were identified as suspects for this phase.

A nominee structure, in simple terms, is one where Thai shareholders hold shares on paper for a foreigner who really controls the company. Thai law restricts foreign ownership of land and of certain businesses, and nominee arrangements are treated as a way around those limits.

Earlier phases and next steps

This was not the first phase. According to the same report, the six earlier phases examined 238 companies and 272 plots of land covering more than 29.44 hectares, with property valued at 2.839 billion baht, and led to 178 arrest warrants.

Officials said they also plan to look at whether any government officers were involved, and to extend the investigations to other parts of the country. Members of the public were invited to report information to local police or through the 1599 hotline.

What it means for villa owners

The message from the authorities is that the way a villa is owned and operated is now being checked from company records, not only after a complaint. Owners who hold a villa through a Thai company should be able to show who the real shareholders are, where the money came from, and that the rental activity is licensed and taxed. Buyers should ask the same questions before they sign. This article is news, not legal advice: please review your own structure with a Thai lawyer and accountant. Owners who rent to guests may also want to check that their operator works transparently; our page on villa management in Koh Samui explains how a managed rental is normally organised.