Illegal loan registration leads to foreign loan sharks.

December 6, 2023 Tanyaporn R.

The Ministry of Interior has opened a nationwide registration for illegal loans in the country. The registration is designed to help solve the illegal loan problem in the area. Sutthipong Juncharoen from the Ministry of Interior reported the Sao Hai Administrative Department has arrested 3 foreign loan sharks following the registration. This is just after the first day of illegal loan registration as the victims are asking for help and giving the information needed to find the loan sharks. The loan sharks arrested are responsible for illegal loans given to market sellers in Sao Hai.

These loan sharks know market sellers often need money to invest in goods and use this as an opportunity to offer money and then charge insane interest rates that are impossible to pay off. Sutthipong stated the Ministry of Interior is following government policy to help eradicate poverty and take down influential individuals. This means the people’s problems must be solved including the illegal loan problems. Illegal loan registration is open for the whole nation online at debt.dopa.go.th and walk-in services starting 1 December 2023 at local government offices. For the first day of registration, 22,090 persons have registered with 935 Million THB in debt.

After just one day, the Sao Hai Administrative Department started working following the information in the registrations. From Sao Hai District, 2 locals registered at the office and 4 registered online on 1 December 2023. Information revealed that there are foreigners acting as loan sharks at the Rom Pot Market in Sao Hai District. Related officials went to inspect the area and found 3 Indian men offering loans to the sellers. Officials presented themselves before asking for their passports. The men did not show any identity documents and they were brought to the police station. With the information provided by the victims, more loan sharks can be brought in to help deal with the ongoing loan shark problem in Thailand.