Bangkok police seize 33 luxury homes in Chinese nominee property scam

Thai police seized 33 luxury residential units across 20 locations in Bangkok, valued at about 1.275 billion baht (approximately $35 million), after residents complained about noise and a high concentration of foreign occupants.

The investigation uncovered a scheme in which a Chinese national, identified as Hao Deng, used Thai women as proxy shareholders to establish 33 shell companies that owned the properties, bypassing Thailand’s foreign‑ownership restrictions. Authorities confiscated title deeds, passports, cash and other evidence and are pursuing arrest warrants under the Foreign Business Act.