District official arrested for extorting migrant work permit fees in Chiang Mai
Chief registrar accused of abusing authority over migrant card fees
A senior district official in Chiang Mai was arrested for allegedly extorting millions of baht from brokers handling migrant worker registrations.
Officials from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), and police units apprehended a man named Boonyarit, who is the chief registrar of the Region 5 Registration Centre and district chief of San Sai, at his office in San Sai district on June 30.
The arrest was carried out under a warrant from the Region 5 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct. He faces charges of demanding or accepting bribes and abusing his official authority.
The investigation began after brokers assisting migrant workers to obtain pink cards (temporary IDs for non-Thai nationals) filed complaints. They alleged Boonyarit demanded 200 baht per worker, far above the legal fee of 60 baht per card and 20 baht per certified copy of registration documents.
Officials said Boonyarit threatened to delay or obstruct applications if the extra payments were not made. Brokers who refused to pay were reportedly forced to take the last queue slots of the day or were accused of using forged documents.
Witnesses estimated that, since early 2023, the scheme generated between 2.4 million and 3.6 million baht in illicit profits. Each day, the office handled no fewer than 1,000 migrant workers, collecting about 200,000 baht in unofficial fees.
Following weeks of surveillance and evidence gathering, officers confirmed the allegations and secured a court warrant. Boonyarit was taken into custody and formally charged, according to KhaoSod.
During initial questioning, he denied all accusations. Investigators said he would remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.
In a separate corruption story, earlier this month, June 2025, Thai immigration police filed a complaint against a Chinese traveller who accused officers of corruption in a viral TikTok video recorded at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The man, whose identity is still under investigation, posted footage showing his arrival at the immigration counter and later walking to the baggage claim area. In the clip, he claimed that missing luggage was not an issue in Thailand, as he could simply pay officials to resolve the problem.
Immigration officials denied the allegations and said legal action would proceed to protect the department’s reputation.
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