A Chinese woman found to be the coordinator in the posting of a controversial billboard advertisement in Chinese offering foreign passports and citizenship was questioned by police on Tuesday.
Details were later released by Pol Lt Gen Thiti Sangsawang, chief of Police Region 2, and Pol Lt Gen Itthipol Itthisaranachai, head of the Immigration Bureau.
The woman was identified only as Ms Nazu, aged 35 years.
Police said she told them she was hired from Hong Kong to coordinate in the printing and posting of the giant advertisement in Thailand. All contact was via a Chinese message app and Line app, which did not show a company name.
She believed the account used to contact her belonged to the man pictured on the billboard advert.
The cost of setting up the billboard — production and space rental fees — was about 200,000 baht. Ms Nazu said that as coordinator she earned about 17,000 baht per sign.
Ms Nazu was charged with being a foreigner working without a permit. She reportedly denied any wrongdoing.
The giant Chinese-language advert, offering a 30-day service for people wanting a foreign passport or citizenship, was put up over the weekend. It displayed images of passports for Indonesia, Cambodia, Turkey and Vanuatu.
It immediately drew social media attention and was taken down on Monday amid concerns of possible criminal involvement.
The billboard structure itself is reported to be owned by a Singaporean company. The local district office is investigating its legality.
The police investigation is also continuing.