Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiset said the government will continue to follow the money trail of influential figures which are believed to have engaged in questionable dealings, before suggesting taxes could be an effective way to root them out.
Mr Chada, a member of the Bhumjaithai Party, made the announcement in response to questions raised by Senator Wanchai Sornsiri in parliament about the ministry's plan to crack down on prominent public figures whom authorities suspect have used their significant influence in their respective home bases to facilitate unlawful activities.
Mr Wanchai said he was concerned the campaign might just be a "flash in the pan", before pointing out that Mr Chada himself is considered an influential figure in his home province of Uthai Thani.
He said that there are nagging concerns about the ministry's ability to enforce the law, pointing out the government's failure to tackle longstanding problems like illegal motorcycle taxi queues, unsafe public van services, underground lottery and clandestine gambling dens.
"A lot of these 'figures' are politicians, tambon or provincial administrative organisation chiefs, and village heads," he said.
Mr Chada, however, insisted the crackdown is picking up pace.
He said reining in these influential figures will involve an assortment of actions, which include checking each individual's tax payment history and their transaction details, noting the approach is modelled on how the United States dealt with underground figures in the past.
"The transactions will expose any money laundering activities that could be probed by the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Revenue Department,” he said.
"The operation must be carried out systematically.”
The ministry has so far compiled a list of nationwide influential figures with the help of local residents.
The crackdown was first launched in Khon Kaen and Bangkok by police and local administrative officials.