Lawmaker Urges Government Funding for DNA Testing to Combat Citizenship Fraud
Piyarat Chongthep has called on the Thai government to provide adequate funding for DNA testing to dismantle 'fake Thai father' syndicates, citing budget shortages hindering investigations.
On October 28, 2026, Piyarat Chongthep, a list MP for the People's Party, addressed the progress of the 'Fake Thai Father' Phase 3 operation. This initiative, a collaboration between police and administrative officials, successfully arrested 24 suspects involved in a scheme to grant Thai citizenship to children of Chinese nationals. Among the findings, authorities identified individuals up to 27 years old who had been fraudulently registered as Thai citizens.
While praising the field officers for their efforts, Piyarat criticized the government for failing to provide sufficient financial support. He noted that officers are often forced to use their own funds to cover operational costs. According to Piyarat, the critical component for prosecuting these cases and revoking fraudulent citizenships is DNA testing, which costs approximately 9,000 to 10,000 baht per family.
Drawing on his work with the House Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights, Piyarat stated that there are potentially tens of thousands of suspected cases of citizenship fraud spanning the last 30 years. For residents and observers, this highlights ongoing systemic challenges in civil registration integrity. It remains to be confirmed how the government will respond to these funding demands and whether additional resources will be allocated to expand the scope of these investigations.
