Party of the People Accuses Visa scheme of Fraudulent Activities Involving Unlawful Chinese Immigrants
Revamped Take:
The People's Party (PP) is up in arms, calling for an investigation into international education programs that they claim are illegally securing Chinese students visas, leading to these students engaging in unlawful labor across Thailand.
Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, deputy leader of the People's Party, has brought up the collapse of the State Audit Office building as evidence for his claim. He alleges that this incident, along with many others, points to the prevalence of the 'zero-dollar' business model, affecting almost every sector in Thailand, including education.
The zero-dollar model is a fraudulent practice often associated with foreigners, predominantly Chinese, generating no genuine income for Thailand or local partners. The term initially came to light with the controversial zero-dollar tour businesses involving Chinese travel agencies and tourists.
In previous events, Mr. Wiroj requested the Council of Engineers to probe Chinese engineers working in Thailand under student visas. He claimed that a probe into the SAO building unveiled that several Chinese engineers were employed by a Thai-registered company but were actually managed by Chinese interests.
According to him, these so-called 'international' courses provided to Chinese students were taught entirely in Chinese, raising suspicions that the programmes were contrived to provide student visas to individuals involved in zero-dollar businesses so they could operate in the country.
Furthermore, Mr. Wiroj alleged that thesis defense panels for these graduate programs were solely composed of Chinese members who were paid to pen students' theses, amounting to academic fraud. He stated that these programs were overseen by a university allegedly taken over by Chinese investors using Thai nominees. Ordinarily, tuition fees would be paid to a parent company in China, which then redirected partial payments to its Thai affiliate.
The Thai affiliate received minuscule payments and reported low profits to avoid tax obligations, he added. Chinese-run construction firms, disguised as local businesses, imported materials from China and only hired Chinese engineers, Mr. Wiroj stated.
Enrichment Insights:- Known for their ties to the controversial zero-dollar tour business, foreign operators, primarily Chinese, are now accused of using international education programs to exploit student visas and engage in illegal labor activities in Thailand.- Programs catering to Chinese students are reportedly conducted entirely in Chinese, with thesis defenses overseen by paid Chinese panelists, suggesting systemic academic fraud.- Zero-dollar practices threaten safety standards and local economic benefits, evidenced by the Chinese engineers holding student visas and working on the State Audit Office building, which collapsed in 2025.- The People's Party has urged the Ministry of Higher Education to investigate these programs, emphasizing concerns about foreign influence and economic leakage in Thailand, with education becoming a new frontier for zero-dollar exploitation.
- The People's Party has accused foreign operators, mainly Chinese, of exploiting student visas to engage in illegal labor activities in Thailand, using international education programs as a new frontier for zero-dollar exploitation.
- The 'zero-dollar' business model, prevalent in various sectors in Thailand, has been linked to Chinese students who are allegedly provided with contrived education programs in exchange for student visas, to enable them to operate in fraudulent, unlawful sectors.
- The People's Party is pressing for an investigation into Chinese-run programs in Thailand's education sector, citing concerns over academic fraud, foreign influence, and an alleged leakage of economic benefits due to the zero-dollar model.
- Following the collapse of the State Audit Office building, the People's Party has highlighted the role of Chinese engineers, employed by Thai-registered companies but managed by Chinese interests, in the zero-dollar business model, affecting general news, politics, crime and justice, and other sectors within Thailand.
