NONG KHAI — Thai police have seized suspected scam operation equipment hidden above the ceiling of a rented room in the centre of Nong Khai after a property owner raised suspicions about unusual behaviour by tenants.
At about 16:30 on 18 January 2026, Lt. Col. Apichat Koltha, an immigration police inspector in Nong Khai, was alerted by a citizen who owns a room rental business in Nai Mueang subdistrict, Mueang Nong Khai district. The owner reported that a young man and woman had insisted on renting room No. 8 and refused other available rooms.
The owner inspected the room and noticed electrical wiring that appeared to have been altered and led into the ceiling, raising concerns that surveillance equipment might have been installed. Police later searched the room and found three SIM box devices concealed above the ceiling, along with two Huawei wireless internet routers, three power adapters and a power strip, all wired to operate continuously. No one came forward to claim ownership, and officers seized the equipment for further examination.
According to the owner, a Thai woman first called at 23:26 on 9 January to ask about renting a room. She arrived at about 01:00 with an unidentified man on a motorcycle and rented room No. 8 for 400 baht, paying via a mobile payment application. The pair left early the next morning and did not return.
Nearly 10 days later, the same woman called again requesting to rent room No. 8. When told the room was occupied and offered another available room, she insisted on waiting specifically for the same room. The owner became suspicious, checked the room and discovered hanging wires above the ceiling before contacting police.
Lt. Col. Apichat said scam networks have adapted their methods by renting rooms and secretly installing signal transmission equipment to conduct fraud targeting victims in various forms, often linked to overseas operations. He praised the cooperation of the property owner and urged the public to report suspicious activity. Police are now working to identify and prosecute those involved and to expand the investigation.
