PATTAYA — Unusually high electricity bills reaching tens of thousands of baht led Chonburi police to uncover a major international scam operation in two luxury Pattaya pool villas on Thursday.
The investigation culminated in the arrest of 13 foreign nationals who were allegedly running an illegal call center targeting victims with fraudulent product sales and tour packages.
In a coordinated operation on December 12, Chonburi Provincial Police and Pattaya Police investigators raided two locations in View Point Village, Soi Chaiyapruek 1, Moo 10, Nongprue, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province.
The first target, a two-story house, yielded six male Chinese nationals on the ground floor along with multiple laptop computers. The second location led to the discovery of seven more suspects – four Chinese nationals (three men and one woman) and three Korean nationals.
Both properties were luxury villas equipped with private swimming pools. Police seized approximately 30 computers, 30 mobile phones, and various other equipment suspected to be used in the criminal operation.
Police Major General Thawatchakiat Jindakhuansanong, Chief of Chonburi Provincial Police, stated that the operation was part of the Royal Thai Police’s broader initiative to combat transnational crime and call center scams.
“Initial investigations reveal multiple scam patterns primarily targeting Chinese and Korean nationals,” he explained. “The gang would trick victims into purchasing products and transferring money.” Authorities are currently investigating whether any Thai nationals were among the victims.
The suspects were found to be converting their criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency to obscure the money trail. Police confirmed this operation is distinct from previously busted call center gangs in the area, representing a new criminal group that had recently established operations in Pattaya.
Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the operation’s financial transactions and its potential links to broader criminal networks. The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Thai authorities in combating sophisticated international fraud operations operating within the country.
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