BANGKOK, THAILAND – Several Israeli nationals, including businesspeople and religious leaders, got Thai citizenship more than ten years ago. The Interior Ministry is now checking if those procedures were legal.
Names and further details stay under wraps for now. The deputy interior minister confirmed the probe on August 9.
Interior ministry checks multiple old cases
Deputy Interior Minister Pholphir Suwanchawee said on August 9 that authorities found more than one such case. An initial check confirmed the affected people do hold Thai citizenship.
At the time of the applications, the officials in charge likely had documents and evidence that supported naturalisation. Now the ministry will check if every step of the process followed the law.
Social media triggered the review
The review followed claims on a popular social media page. That page talked about a network of Israeli people who received Thai nationality and ID cards.
The Interior Ministry is now investigating the old approvals. Results about any wrongdoing are not yet available.
Connection to Chabad under scrutiny
Pholphir rejected reports that the naturalised people are directors of Chabad, a Jewish religious organisation. According to him, they were directors of a company that owns the premises where a Chabad facility is located.
That company was registered as a different type of business and showed characteristics of a so-called nominee company.
said Pholphir Suwanchawee, deputy interior minister.
Authorities are therefore also checking possible illegal business dealings and money flows.
Names kept secret for now
The authorities have not released any names so far. The ministry wants to finish the review and investigation before disclosing further details.
Pholphir said that anyone, regardless of nationality, will be prosecuted if they break the law.