Thailand’s immigration police have cancelled the visas of 12 Chinese nationals arrested at a high-end pool villa in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. They face charges for running an illegal online lending business.
Authorities confirmed the 12 individuals will be declared persona non grata and deported to China, according to Pol Maj-Gen Chairith Anurith, head of the Immigration Bureau’s third division.
Chairith revealed the group initially operated out of Dubai but recently relocated to Thailand. They had rented a luxury villa in Nong Pla Lai sub-district, using it as the base for their unlicensed money-lending activities.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj-Gen Thiradet Thumsutee, deputy commissioner, announced that Thai and Chinese police had jointly frozen cryptocurrency assets valued at $2.5 million (around 84 million baht). These funds were traced to two Chinese nationals believed to be key figures in a scam operation. The digital wallets hiding the assets were uncovered during the suspects’ arrest.
On February 5, a collaborative operation involving Huamark Police Station and the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) led to the arrest of the two suspects. The men allegedly resisted arrest and attempted to erase data from their phones before officers intervened.
The suspects, identified as Mr. Ye Wanyou, 29, and Mr. Li Weijie, 30, were captured at their luxury residence. Authorities seized assets worth $44,550 during the initial raid. Later, coordination with Chinese officials uncovered additional cryptocurrency holdings, which were frozen.
Thiradet credited the arrests to the support of Chinese public security officials, who had recently visited Thailand to address cross-border issues such as call centres in Myanmar and the trafficking of Chinese nationals.
The two suspects are accused of recruiting and smuggling Chinese citizens through the Mae Sot district to work in call centres based in Myanmar. Police have opposed bail in their case, and investigations are ongoing to uncover more details and identify potential accomplices.
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has pledged to strengthen cooperation with China to combat cyber scams that have affected both nations. During her visit to China, she signed over a dozen agreements to boost economic ties.
At a meeting in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping commended Thailand’s efforts to tackle online fraud and illegal gambling. He urged both countries to enhance law enforcement and security collaboration to protect lives and property.
Myanmar, meanwhile, continues to struggle with armed conflicts and ethnic tensions, with some rebel groups reportedly funded through call centre scams and drug trafficking.
Last Wednesday, Thailand cut off electricity, internet access, and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar believed to host scam operations. In response, Myanmar is now looking to secure power supplies from Laos.
This action followed a decision by Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC), which declared these scam centres a “national security issue” due to their widespread impact on Thailand and neighbouring countries.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
