14 Chinese Found Cramped in Thai Hotel Room: Nine Face Charges

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Immigration police arrest 14 Chinese nationals who were found sharing a single room at a hotel in Samut Prakan Province on Jan. 13, 2025.

SAMUT PRAKAN — Immigration police arrested 14 Chinese nationals who were found sharing a single room at a hotel in Samut Prakan province, following a tip-off from a concerned citizen. The group was discovered in Room 114 of a hotel located in Soi King Kaew, Racha Thewa sub-district, Bang Phli district.

Police Colonel Sumet Chenwongpitak, Chief of Samut Prakan Immigration, ordered the investigation after receiving reports of suspicious activity involving multiple Chinese nationals staying together at the hotel.

Of the 14 individuals detained, nine men were found to be in violation of immigration laws. Six were charged with illegal entry into the kingdom: Mr. Xia (30), Mr. Hua (28), Mr. Liu (24), Mr. He (29), Mr. Zheng (27), and Mr. Wang (26).

Three others – Mr. Ding (34), Mr. Zhou (40), and Mr. Lai (19) – were charged with overstaying their visas. The remaining five individuals, including four men aged 23-30 and one woman aged 34, were found to be legally present in the country.

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Immigration police arrest 14 Chinese nationals who were found sharing a single room at a hotel in Samut Prakan Province on Jan. 13, 2025.

During questioning, the group revealed they had previously worked for scammer operations or call center gangs in Myanmar. They claimed to have fled to Thailand due to increased pressure from Myanmar authorities cracking down on such operations.

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The intensified scrutiny of illegal immigrants comes in the wake of a high-profile case involving Chinese celebrity Wang Xing, who was lured into becoming a scammer in Myanmar before being rescued by Thai authorities. While Wang was successfully rescued, the incident has affected Thailand’s reputation.

Police Lieutenant General Panumas Boonyalak, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, has ordered all immigration units to strengthen their investigations and suppression of illegal foreign activities. The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activities involving foreign nationals through the immigration hotline 1178.

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