Phuket –
Officials raided an unauthorized dental clinic near a popular shopping mall and arrested a Taiwanese national accused of practicing dentistry without a license.
The Wichit Police told the Phuket Express that at approximately 6:10 p.m. on Thursday (Febraury 12th) they and the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office inspected a dental clinic located on the second floor of a plaza in Wichit. Authorities had received complaints that the clinic was operating illegally and employing a foreign dentist without proper authorization.
Inside the clinic, officers found numerous Thai and foreign customers waiting for treatment. In the dental room, they discovered Mr. Tung, 35, a Taiwanese national, dressed in medical scrubs and performing a scaling procedure on a patient. When asked to present his professional license and clinic registration documents, Mr. Tung was unable to provide any valid authorization recognized in Thailand.
Officials confirmed that while Mr. Tung is a qualified dentist in Taiwan, he had not obtained permission to practice in Thailand and lacked the required license to operate a dental facility. He claimed to be in the process of applying for approval, but authorities said that his activities constituted a violation of Thai law.
Mr. Tung was taken into custody and charged with four serious offenses:
- Operating a medical facility without authorization.
- Managing a medical facility without a license.
- Practicing dentistry without a Thai professional license.
- Working illegally as a foreign national on a temporary stay permit.
He was escorted to Wichit Police Station for further questioning and legal proceedings.
The raid followed a formal complaint filed with the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, which coordinated with police to investigate and shut down the unauthorized clinic. Authorities stressed that unlicensed medical practices pose significant risks to public health and vowed to continue strict enforcement against illegal operators.
