Bangkok: The Bangkok Metropolitan Police have arrested a medical records officer from a private hospital in the Thonburi area, unveiling her involvement in a "Chinese childbirth" ring. Ms. S., the officer in question, coordinated births for Chinese clients at the hospital, offering a package priced at 70,000 baht and earning a 20,000 baht commission for handling the paperwork. This operation had been ongoing for over five years and was part of a larger network facilitating illegal registrations of paternity to grant Thai citizenship.
According to Thai News Agency, investigators found 164 Chinese individuals with birth records indicating Thai fathers, despite no records of prenatal care showing such lineage. The hospital had certified birth certificates with Thai fathers appearing later, prompting charges against Ms. S. for malfeasance in office, neglect of duty, or corrupt conduct. She was taken to Metropolitan Police Division 8 for further questioning.
In a related operation, Deputy Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma, and Deputy Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, Mr. Witthoon Sirinukul, led efforts to dismantle this transnational criminal network. The focus was on stopping illegal paternity registrations, known as "Thai-Thai surrogacy," allowing Chinese children to obtain Thai citizenship. A raid on a luxury house in Samut Sakhon Province revealed details of the network's activities, including a case where a Chinese couple altered birth registration details to claim a Thai man as the father, enabling the child to gain dual citizenship.
Forensic and DNA tests disproved the claims of Thai paternity, with Mr. Viroj, a glass installer, confessing to not being the biological father. He met the Chinese group through work and now faces court proceedings to prove his involvement. The scheme allowed children born this way to gain Thai citizenship, access to welfare benefits, and the ability to own land, posing significant economic and security risks.
The review of medical records highlighted that officials registered births through surrogacy and identity theft in at least 62 cases between 2018 and 2025. Pol. Gen. Samran emphasized the ongoing investigation to determine the hospital's role in the scheme and warned of decisive legal action if complicity is found.
Further investigations revealed suspects used "secret chat groups" for recommendations, with police examining mobile data to assess the breadth of the operation. Initial payments for the service were reportedly 99,999 baht per case, with financial evidence still under scrutiny. The operation's impact on national security is significant, as it creates fraudulent identities from birth, complicating future citizenship revocation.
Authorities have detained Mr. Viroj for questioning, and he has denied involvement or knowledge of the scheme. His statements suggest he was misled into participating through a job application with a Chinese-owned company. As investigations continue, the police aim to unravel the full extent of the network's activities.