NONG KHAI — Thai immigration police have arrested an Indian national in Nong Khai who had overstayed his visa and allegedly defrauded hotels after losing more than $216,000 gambling in a neighboring country.
Police apprehended Rohit, 38, at a hotel in Nong Khai city center on the evening of November 13 following reports that he had been staying at various accommodations without paying.
Police Colonel Noppadol Rakchat, Chief of the Nong Khai Immigration Office, confirmed that the arrest followed complaints about a suspicious individual obtaining free accommodation fraudulently.
Rohit had entered Thailand on a tourist visa on August 17, 2025, which expired on Oct. 15, 2025. Authorities said he failed to return home and had been hiding within Thailand since then.
During questioning, Rohit admitted to withdrawing 7 million baht (approximately $216,000) from his bank account in a single day, stating he lost the entire sum gambling abroad. Penniless and unable to pay for hotels, he fled back to Thailand, checked into multiple hotels in Nong Khai, and requested free stays. Hotel owners eventually notified authorities of his suspicious behavior.
Rohit has been charged with overstaying his permission to remain in the Kingdom. Authorities are continuing to investigate the source of the large sum of money he withdrew.
Crackdown on Overstays
The arrest comes as Thailand’s Immigration Bureau implements a new, stricter four-point screening policy announced on Nov. 12, aiming to curb visa runs and enhance border security. The measures include:
- Enhanced screening of individuals using frequent visa-free entry that appears inconsistent with typical tourist behavior.
- Stricter monitoring of foreign nationals flagged in border surveillance systems, particularly those associated with high-risk areas.
- Increased scrutiny of temporary stay extension applications for foreigners showing visa-run patterns.
- Comprehensive operations by all immigration offices to remove foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas.
Immigration Bureau spokesman Police Major General Choengron Rimpadee acknowledged the new rules may affect passport processing times for foreigners but assured that individual screening will take no more than 45 seconds, with maximum queue waiting times not exceeding 40 minutes at airport inspection channels.
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