BANGKOK — The recent arrests of foreign suspects who fled to Thailand involve both Chinese and Taiwanese nationals. In the first case, the Chinese authorities requested the Thai authorities to arrest and extradite a suspect. In the second case, three Taiwanese nationals came under suspicion after being caught with 19 mobile phones.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Department, held a press conference at the Immigration Department on 5 June where he explained both cases in detail.
Chinese Suspect Wanted for $47.2M Fraud
The first suspect is a 55-year-old Chinese citizen named Dong, against whom an arrest warrant was issued on 19 May 2025 for illegally obtaining public funds.
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Thailand had sent an official letter to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting assistance in the arrest and extradition of Mr Dong. He is also on an Interpol Red Notice.
Mr Dong is accused of defrauding 878 victims in China with a fake product distribution company. He promised returns of 2% per month and a doubling of investments in two years. The total loss is estimated at 339 million yuan (about 1.542 billion baht or USD 47.2 million).
Dong fled to Thailand and initially stayed in the province of Chachoengsao. When he realised he was under surveillance, he moved to a house in Moo 14, Li Subdistrict, Li District, Lamphun Province. The authorities finally arrested him when he was walking near his residence. He refused to make a statement. The authorities have handed him over to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for extradition.
Suspicious Taiwanese Trio Caught with 19 Phones
In the second case, immigration authorities were informed on 3 June by customs officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Tourist Police about three Taiwanese nationals who had entered the country from Vietnam and attempted to smuggle 19 mobile phones into Thailand for scam operations.
Initial investigations revealed that the phones were already registered with SIM cards and linked to bank accounts, which were then used to defraud Thai victims. These accounts matched four suspect profiles linked to online fraud reports via the Thai police online system in both major cities and regions (Region 6).
The group’s tactics included fake online sales, top-up fraud and currency exchange scams. Victims were tricked into transferring money without ever receiving goods or services. According to the authorities, the scam caused hundreds of thousands of baht worth of damage in several provinces.
Database checks confirmed that this was the trio’s first entry into Thailand. Further investigations revealed that all three had criminal records in Taiwan for money laundering and illegal gambling.
As their activities posed a threat to society, the Thai authorities revoked their permission to stay in the country. They were handed over to investigators from the Third Investigation Division of the Immigration Bureau for prosecution. Authorities are working with local police to pursue the charges and expand the investigation to uncover further financial links to other suspects.
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