Thai police arrest 11 Chinese in Bangkok scam and gambling raids

Thai immigration police arrested 11 Chinese nationals in raids on three properties in Bangkok's Sai Mai district on Thursday (October 22), as part of an investigation into a suspected call-centre fraud and online gambling network that police believe caused losses worth hundreds of millions of baht.

The raids, led by Pol Lt Gen Noppasin Poonsawat, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, followed an investigation lasting nearly two months after a Chinese man escaped from the suspected network and alerted police.

Officers seized 58 mobile phones, 100 Malaysian SIM cards, 10 computers and an iPad.

One of the properties was a two-storey luxury house valued at approximately THB30 million–THB40 million. Police believe the group had been renting the property for THB80,000 a month since April 2026 and used it as an operating base.

Chinese worker's escape leads to investigation

A Chinese national identified as Mr Liu told investigators he had accepted what he believed was an administrative job paying THB80,000 a month. However, he later discovered that he was expected to carry out illegal work.

According to investigators, the group's Chinese supervisor threatened to assault or kill Liu if he refused to work. Although he had not been physically attacked, Liu escaped during a shopping trip and reported the matter to police.

Suspects entered Thailand from Vietnam

Noppasin explained that immigration records indicated members of the group had travelled to Thailand from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2025.

Investigators believe the suspects initially gathered in Thailand before establishing the alleged operation in 2026.

Among the 11 Chinese suspects, five had overstayed their permitted period of residence, including one whose overstay exceeded 1,200 days.

Police also discovered that five Chinese nationals associated with the group had applied for student visas. Immigration officers have been instructed to contact the relevant educational institutions to establish whether they had genuinely attended classes.

Pol Lt Col Sitthimon Soiphuraya, an investigation inspector with the Immigration Bureau's Investigation Division, reported that the group operated in two shifts, from 11am to 9pm and from 9pm to 8am.

Officers conducted the searches while the suspects were resting.

Evidence recovered from computers and mobile phones linked the group to an online gambling website known as Hong Guan, or HGA. Police believe the network combined online gambling with fraudulent activities targeting Chinese nationals.

Arrest warrants uncovered during raids

Further checks revealed that one suspect was wanted by Chinese authorities in connection with online gambling, while another was subject to a Thai arrest warrant over a narcotics offence.

Police questioned a 33-year-old Chinese national identified as Mr Fu, whom investigators suspected of leading the network.

When shown an arrest warrant issued by Chinese authorities, Fu acknowledged that it concerned him but claimed he did not know when it had been issued.

He maintained that he had arrived in Thailand from China more than a year earlier and denied knowing anything about the Hong Guan gambling operation or the other suspects at the property.

Another Chinese suspect, identified as Mr Han, was linked to the Thai narcotics warrant but denied involvement in the alleged gambling and fraud network.

Han claimed he had visited the property after hearing about the police arrests and had merely been driving away, despite officers reporting that he had attempted to flee.

He also stated that he had previously worked as a tour guide for three years but was now unemployed.

Police examine financial links and property records

Investigators are examining seized phones, computer records, bank accounts and financial transactions to identify individuals who may have organised, financed or supported the suspected operation, including any suspects still at large.

Authorities are also investigating possible breaches of Section 38 of the Immigration Act 1979, which requires property owners, occupiers and other responsible parties to report accommodation provided to foreign nationals.

Officers are reviewing records relating to two residential properties and will take further legal action if breaches are established.

Noppasin also warned Chinese nationals to verify employment offers in neighbouring countries to avoid falling victim to fraudulent recruitment schemes.

He explained that immigration officers would investigate suspicious arrangements involving travellers picked up at airports and driven towards border areas.