CHANTHABURI — 12 May 2026, Thai authorities detained 18 Thai nationals repatriated from Cambodia after investigators found links to online scam networks, including mule bank accounts tied to more than 60 fraud cases, officials said.
Maj. Gen. Phadungsak Raksasuk, commander of Chanthaburi Provincial Police, said the group was received at 10:00 at the Ban Phak Kad permanent border crossing in Pong Nam Ron district after coordination with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The operation involved officers from Pong Nam Ron police station, Chanthaburi Immigration Police and military personnel from the Chanthaburi Marine Task Force.
Authorities said the 18 Thais had recently completed prison sentences in Cambodia for illegal entry and other offences.
Upon arrival in Thailand, immigration officers charged them under Thailand’s Immigration Act for entering or leaving the country outside officially designated checkpoints.
Further background checks uncovered additional criminal links.
Police said four individuals, identified as Wicha Singnan, Ekpot Rattanakorn, Saharat Rattanakorn and Phachara Phonrit, were wanted under outstanding arrest warrants and were immediately transferred to the jurisdictions handling their cases.
Investigators also found that seven members of the group were listed in the Thai Police Online database as being connected to mule bank accounts used by scam syndicates.
Among them, Phuwadon Nonkhamphai was linked to 17 case IDs, Thitinan Suwanmek to 16 case IDs, and Thananan Maplian to 11 case IDs. Authorities said the seven suspects were connected to a combined total of more than 60 fraud-related case IDs.
Military officials said the suspects would be held for up to seven days under powers granted by Thailand’s Martial Law Act of 1914 because of suspected links to transnational online crime networks operating along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Officials said the investigation would focus on identifying wider criminal networks using the Chanthaburi border area as a transit route for scam operations.
Chanthaburi police said they were coordinating with police jurisdictions nationwide where fraud complaints had been filed in order to gather evidence and pursue further legal action against the scam syndicates.
