64 foreign children, one tiny flat

A police operation in Bangkok has uncovered a suspected network facilitating the illegal acquisition of identity documents for foreign nationals, leading to the arrest of one suspect in the Din Daeng district. The crackdown, involving the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the Anti-Corruption Division, focused on a flat where a broker allegedly operated.

During the investigation, officers discovered a startling number of foreign children, aged five to 15, registered across multiple addresses. In one instance, a woman named Aor reported that her sister, who works at the district office, had received 5,000 baht to register four foreign children on her household registration. When Aor visited the district office, an official questioned her about the number of Myanmar children listed, prompting her to report the matter.

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You already took their money. Why are you filing a report to arrest them?

The investigation further revealed that at least 1,684 foreign children were registered across 47 flats in the Din Daeng area. The broker allegedly received payments to help foreign nationals obtain pink ID cards, which are typically for Thai citizens or those with specific legal status. The police are continuing their investigation, with the Anti-Corruption Commission confirming they received information about suspected corruption involving state agencies and the misuse of pink ID cards.

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The alert has little effect if staff with the power to approve household registrations have failed.