NONG KHAI — Thai immigration police have intercepted two separate operations involving Thai nationals transporting Chinese citizens illegally across borders, according to reports from Nong Khai and Tak provinces.
In Nong Khai province, immigration police arrested a 46-year-old Thai driver named Arthit while he was transporting a Chinese national, Mr. Chaoliang, 46, along the Mekong riverfront road. The arrest occurred at approximately 4:00 PM on March 23 near Muang Mee School, on a route headed toward the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge border crossing.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Apichat Klatha, an immigration officer in Nong Khai, stated that authorities had been monitoring suspicious activity by Thai drivers who frequently transport foreign nationals across natural border crossings. Intelligence revealed that the suspect had picked up the Chinese passenger from Bo Bae Market in Udon Thani province and planned to smuggle him out of Thailand via the Mekong River.
When officers stopped the vehicle, both occupants appeared startled but cooperated with the inspection. The Chinese passenger, who spoke limited Thai, admitted entering Thailand using a passport last recorded at Don Mueang Immigration on April 27, 2024. Further investigation revealed no subsequent legal entry permits and identified him as a wanted fugitive with an outstanding arrest warrant from the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court on charges of trademark counterfeiting.
Arthit confessed to authorities that a Laotian shuttle driver had contacted him to transport the Chinese man from Udon Thani to the Nong Khai border for 1,200 baht. Police have charged Arthit with harboring and assisting a foreign national to evade arrest.
12 Chinese Workers Intercepted in Tak
On the same day in Tak province, highway police intercepted two vehicles carrying 12 Chinese nationals on Highway 1 at kilometer marker 533 in Muang district. Officers became suspicious of a black Nissan and bronze Toyota traveling in tandem and signaled them to stop for inspection.
Police discovered the vehicles packed with Chinese nationals, of whom only one possessed valid travel documents. The Thai drivers, 49-year-old Suchat and 48-year-old Wanmongkol, admitted to picking up the Chinese nationals near a Mae Sot intersection in Tak province and were transporting them to Chiang Mai province for 4,000 baht per trip. They claimed to have conducted similar operations four times previously.
Both Thai drivers have been charged with knowingly assisting illegal foreign nationals to evade arrest, while the 11 undocumented Chinese nationals face charges of entering the kingdom without permission. All suspects were transferred to Muang Tak Police Station for further processing, as investigators work to determine whether they are connected to international scammer networks.
