Thai immigration arrests foreign scam suspects; Koh Phangan nominee case
Thai authorities said two foreign nationals wanted for fraud have been detained, while a separate Koh Phangan nominee case linked to luxury villa rentals is still under investigation.
- Thai immigration arrested a Chinese national in Bangkok who was wanted in China for a public fraud scheme involving a fake investment company.
- In a separate case, authorities arrested a Japanese national wanted in Japan for an online currency trading scam.
- An investigation on Koh Phangan is targeting foreigners allegedly using Thai nominees to illegally operate luxury villa rental businesses, resulting in charges against 11 individuals.
Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyalug, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, on Thursday (January 8) announced progress in several major cases, including the arrest of two foreign nationals wanted overseas for fraud, and an ongoing crackdown on alleged nominee structures linked to luxury villa rentals on Koh Phangan.
Chinese suspect wanted for fraud found hiding in a Bangkok luxury estate
Immigration investigators said they received a tip-off about a Chinese man behaving suspiciously and living quietly in a luxury housing estate in the Krungthep Kreetha area while using an expensive vehicle.
After coordinating checks with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Thailand, officers identified him as Zeng (surname withheld), 34, a Chinese national wanted by Chinese authorities on allegations of jointly defrauding the public.
Investigators said the suspect allegedly set up a fake company (shell company) to lure victims into “investment” schemes, with initial losses estimated at around 1,100,000 yuan.
Authorities said a building in “Mansiu” city, Myanmar (as stated in the briefing), was used as a base of operations before he fled to Thailand.
The Immigration Bureau said it revoked his visa, obtained a search warrant, and raided the house where he was found and taken into custody.
Police said they believe the suspect may have brought proceeds into Thailand to buy assets.
Officers seized one Toyota Alphard with a “special” number plate, valued at about 3 million baht, registered in the suspect’s name.
They are also checking the ownership of the luxury house searched, valued at about 20 million baht, to determine who owns it and whether it is linked to the suspect, as part of wider asset-tracing and coordination with relevant agencies.
Japanese suspect wanted over online FX scam arrested in Thong Lo
In a separate case, Immigration investigators looked into complaints about a group of Japanese nationals causing disturbances in a condominium area in Thong Lo.
They identified one individual as Sakamoto (surname withheld), 39, and coordinated with the Embassy of Japan in Thailand to confirm his status.
Officials said Sakamoto is wanted under a Japanese arrest warrant on allegations of joint fraud, linked to a scheme in which victims were allegedly deceived by someone claiming to be an investment company representative and persuaded to trade online currency via an application called “FX First” in 2023.
Authorities said there were multiple victims, with reported losses of about 500,000 to 1,000,000 yen per person.
The Immigration Bureau said it revoked his visa and transferred him to Sub-Division 3 of the Immigration Bureau’s Investigation Division for detention pending deportation/return to face proceedings in Japan.
Koh Phangan nominee case: three firms, 11 suspects charged so far
The Immigration Bureau said the Royal Thai Police and Immigration have instructed investigators to pursue cases where foreigners are alleged to be illegally operating businesses using Thai nominees to conceal beneficial ownership.
In Koh Phangan, officers said they identified three registered companies suspected of wrongdoing.
The firms allegedly operated luxury villa rentals on daily and monthly terms, and in some cases, advertised villas for sale at about 15 million baht each.
Rental listings cited rates such as 10,000 baht per day and 80,000 baht per month, with services reportedly focused on certain foreign customer groups.
Authorities said criminal complaints have been filed, with investigations ongoing.
So far, police said they have charged:
- 7 Thai nationals accused of assisting as nominees (fronting shareholdings), and
- 4 foreign nationals are alleged to be the true owners of the businesses.
Investigators said they are continuing to gather evidence before finalising the case files for submission to supervisors.
The Immigration Bureau said it will continue tightening checks and enforcement, including monitoring individuals (Thai and foreign) with warrants and closely screening entry/exit movements.
Members of the public who have information can contact the Immigration Bureau or provincial immigration offices, or visit www.immigration.go.th.
