People’s Party demands probe into student visa misuse by Chinese nationals
The People’s Party has urged the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation to investigate international study programmes allegedly used by Chinese nationals to obtain student visas for illegal work in Thailand.
Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, the party’s deputy leader, referenced the March 28 collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building as evidence of the detrimental impact of the zero-dollar business model across various sectors in Thailand, including education.
This model, often linked to foreign operators, particularly Chinese, generates no significant income for Thailand or its local partners. It became known through Chinese tour businesses that offer zero-dollar tours.
Wiroj previously requested the Council of Engineers to examine the presence of Chinese engineers in Thailand who were operating under student visas. Investigations into the SAO building revealed that several Chinese engineers were employed by a company ostensibly Thai-owned but actually operated by Chinese interests.
Wiroj highlighted that said international courses attended by Chinese student visa holders were conducted entirely in Chinese, suggesting these programmes were designed to facilitate student visas for those involved in the zero-dollar business.
He also pointed out that thesis defence panels in these programmes were solely composed of Chinese individuals who were paid to write students’ theses, constituting academic fraud.
The university offering these courses was reportedly taken over by Chinese investors using Thai nominees, with tuition fees routed through a parent company in China and partial payments sent to a Thai affiliate.
This affiliate showed minimal profits in order to evade taxes.
Furthermore, some Chinese-managed construction companies masqueraded as local businesses but imported materials from China and exclusively hired Chinese engineers. The petition was formally received by the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Supamas Isarabhakdi, as reported by Bangkok Post.
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