The Commerce Ministry warns that those who register companies on behalf of fraudsters risk imprisonment and heavy fines.

The Commerce Ministry warns that "signature certifiers" who are hired to register companies for fraudsters risk imprisonment and heavy fines. This warning comes after the discovery of illicit groups impersonating the DBD Biz Regist system to establish companies without the directors' knowledge. The department has ordered the suspension of access rights for certifiers who violate the regulations and emphasizes that users should never share their usernames or passwords with others.

On April 19, 2569, Mr. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, revealed that the Department of Business Development is pushing for a fully digital business registration system through the Digital Corporate Registration System (DBD Biz Regist). This system is convenient, fast, and reduces time and costs for users. However, it has been found that groups of nominees and illicit funds are exploiting the convenience of the DBD Biz Regist system to establish legal entities for various illegal activities, such as opening accounts for nominee companies and using fraudulent nominee structures.

A "signature certifier" is hired to submit the registration application on behalf of the applicant. This individual is trusted by the Department of Business Development and has the primary responsibility of certifying that the applicant has signed in their presence, preventing signature forgery or false claims that the authorized signatory knew of and consented to the registration of the legal entity.

Mr. Poonpong stated that in the past, the Department of Business Development discovered that some 'signature certifiers' did not comply with the conditions for signature certification by not having the applicant sign the registration application in their presence, or in some cases, by giving their username and password for accessing the digital corporate registration system (DBD Biz Regist) to others to use. Furthermore, some did not cooperate as notified by the registrar, constituting a violation of the terms and conditions of the system's use, and were subsequently used to register companies or change directors.

Those named as directors or who have resigned from the board were unaware of this, causing damage to other individuals. The Department of Business Development has therefore suspended their access to the DBD Biz Regist system and other related systems.

"Certifying the signature of an applicant for registration without complying with the criteria set by the Department of Business Development, or certifying a false signature, is a violation of the law. Those who certify false signatures are liable under the law, both civilly and criminally, including prosecution which may result in imprisonment or both, fines, and the revocation of their right to certify signatures for all applications for legal entity registration."

We also ask all signatories to help verify and screen individuals who contact them. Please proceed with registration applications with caution to avoid becoming tools of fraudsters and to help improve transparency in corporate registration, prevent illegal activities, and build confidence in the Thai economy in the long term.

Read news related to the economic situation across Thailand here.