Six hospitals probed over birth-record scam

The Ministry of Public Health has begun investigating private hospitals suspected of being linked to fraudulent birth registrations that may have enabled foreign-born children to obtain Thai nationality through falsely declared Thai fathers. The Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) has started gathering medical records from private hospitals following a police investigation into registration irregularities, Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said on Wednesday. The department is examining cases in which foreign mothers, most of them Chinese, allegedly used Thai men to pose as fathers when registering births, potentially allowing children to acquire Thai nationality and access related rights and benefits including property ownership. Mr Pattana stressed that the hospitals under review had not yet been found guilty of any wrongdoing. Six private hospitals have been identified as falling within the scope of the inquiry, said Phuwadech Surakhot said, the DHSS director-general. Data has so far been requested from two of them. No state hospitals are involved. The investigation is focusing on births registered to foreign mothers and Thai fathers, a combination that can make a child eligible for Thai nationality. Children born in Thailand to two foreign parents do not automatically receive Thai citizenship. According to Dr Phuwadech, authorities are reviewing birth notification documents, which record details such as the child’s sex, date and time of birth, weight, and the names of both parents. The documents must also be signed by the delivery attendant, a supervising physician and the hospital director. Reports indicate that more than 160 cases across the six hospitals are under review. “The key concern is whether the person listed as the Thai father is genuinely the child’s father,” Dr Phuwadech said. “The issue is directly linked to the acquisition of Thai nationality.” Authorities are examining birth records alongside the identification documents of both parents and household registration records used to add children to household registers. If irregularities are found, the next stage could involve forensic examinations, including DNA testing, to verify paternity. While maternity can generally be established from medical records, officials are particularly focused on confirming the identity of the fathers. Dr Phuwadech said that if investigations prove that nationality was obtained through false information, authorities could move to revoke the child’s Thai nationality. The inquiry will also examine whether hospital executives, doctors or other staff knowingly facilitated false registrations. Under section 73 of the Hospital Act, officials of healthcare facilities found to have issued false information are liable to a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht. Mr Pattana said any potential liability involving hospital directors, physicians or other personnel would be determined on a case-by-case basis based on evidence. The investigation is part of the widening crackdown on the “fake fathers” network. On Tuesday, all 50 district offices across Bangkok were ordered to review birth registrations dating back to 2017 involving foreign mothers and Thai fathers. More than 500 foreign children nationwide are suspected of having been falsely registered, and several private hospitals have reportedly come under scrutiny. Subscribe to our newsletters for daily updates, breaking news and exclusive content.