Tourist police raid Chinese vertical series crew over work permits
The group, including a producer and actors, was accused of filming a vertical Chinese series in Hang Dong without permits or work authorisation.
- Tourist police in Chiang Mai raided a Chinese film crew shooting a "vertical series" in the Hang Dong district.
- Eight Chinese nationals, including a producer and actors, were detained for filming without official permission and lacking the required work permits.
- The crew members had entered Thailand on tourist visas and were found to be in violation of the Film and Video Act 2008.
- The individuals now face legal proceedings on charges of working without a permit and an administrative fine for unauthorized filming.
The Facebook page Chiangmai Report reported that tourist police had raided a Chinese vertical film-series shoot in Hang Dong district on Friday (May 8, 2026), Chiang Mai province, detaining a producer and Chinese actors, eight people in all, who were allegedly filming without permission and without work permits.
Under the direction of the commander of Tourist Police Division 2 and the superintendent of Sub-Division 2, Tourist Police Division 2, an investigation team, together with officers from the sub-division, raided and arrested a group of Chinese nationals allegedly filming inside a house in Hang Dong district, Chiang Mai province.
An inspection found a Chinese crew and Thai nationals working as interpreters while filming was underway.
Officers found no legally required permit documents and no government officials supervising the shoot as required.
They also found that the people had entered as tourists and did not have work permits.
Questioned by officers, Wei, a suspect, admitted she was a producer and actor and was filming a “vertical series”, which was currently popular.
She said Chiang Mai was chosen as a location because it was a famous tourist destination known among Chinese tourists.
Officers told the suspects that filming in Thailand must comply with the Film and Video Act 2008 and must be supervised by government officials to prevent distorted content or content affecting the country’s image.
A screenplay or synopsis must also be considered by the relevant committee before filming can proceed.
Violations carry a maximum fine of THB1 million.
Officers took the eight Chinese nationals to investigators at Hang Dong Police Station to face legal proceedings on a charge of “being foreign nationals working without permission”.
For the unauthorised filming, officers would proceed to file a report alleging an offence subject to an administrative fine with the Film and Video Committee of the Department of Tourism for legal consideration.
