A buildings previously rented by scammer operations in Phaya Tong Su stand deserted as of February 12, 2025.
KANCHANABURI — A sweeping crackdown by Thai authorities has forced Chinese scammer networks to abandon their operations in Myanmar’s border town of Phaya Tong Su, while thousands of trafficking victims are poised for liberation in what officials describe as one of the largest rescue operations in the region.
The mass exodus comes after Thailand implemented aggressive measures on February 5, cutting off electricity, fuel, and internet connections to the border area. Property owners report their high-paying Chinese tenants have terminated leases and hastily removed equipment from compounds that once housed hundreds of operators.
Interior of abandoned scammer facility shows discarded office furniture from former call center operations, photographed February 12, 2025.
“We have confirmation that approximately 7,000 international victims are awaiting repatriation,” Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said. “We’re coordinating with embassies from Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia to arrange direct evacuation flights.”
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which controls the area, has set a February 28 deadline for remaining Chinese operators to leave Phaya Tong Su. The group has already facilitated the release of 321 victims, with 260 freed on February 12 following an initial group of 61 on February 6.
The impact is visible throughout the border town, where over 200 Chinese-operated businesses – including restaurants, barbershops, and gaming centers that served as fronts for scammer operations – now stand empty. Local landlords, who previously earned between 200,000 to 800,000 baht monthly from Chinese tenants, confirm the operations have relocated approximately 10 kilometers away from their original base.
In a related breakthrough, Thai authorities announced the capture of gang leaders responsible for trafficking a Chinese actor Wang Xing into call center operations. Chinese officials have expressed gratitude for Thailand’s effective approach and are preparing to repatriate their citizens who fell victim to trafficking schemes.
260 victims of an international scam call center operation are handed over to Thailand from Myanmar by the DKBA forces at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025.
BANGKOK — Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has revealed evidence connecting top Border Guard Force (BGF) leaders to a human trafficking case involving eight Indian nationals forced into scam operations in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region. However, prosecutors say more evidence is needed before arrest warrants can be issued.
The case targets high-ranking BGF officials including Colonel Saw Chit Thu (also known as Col. Maung Chit Thu), Lieutenant Colonel Mote Thone, and Major Tin Win. DSI investigators presented their findings to anti-trafficking prosecutors on February 11, but were advised to gather additional evidence before seeking court approval for arrest warrants.
The investigation coincides with Thailand’s broader crackdown on border scam operations, including cutting off electricity, fuel, and internet services to five suspected scammer bases along the Myanmar border and disrupting internet signals along the Cambodian border. However, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong emphasized that this specific case predates the current crackdown by almost three years.
The route from Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand to Myawaddy, Myanmar is believed to be one of the routes that call center gangs use to transport people from Thailand to be trained as scammers.
According to DSI sources, the investigation centers on events between May and August 2022, when eight Indian nationals, including Javed Awawasli, were lured to Thailand with promises of legitimate telemarketing work. The victims were initially recruited by a Pakistani agent named Sarah and an employer identified only as Edward.
After arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the victims were transported to Mae Sot district in Tak province and then smuggled across the Moei River to Heng Seng Resort and Casino in Myawaddy. There, they were reportedly subjected to physical abuse, electric shocks, and imprisonment when they refused to participate in scam operations. They were only released after their families paid ransom.
The investigation has uncovered a complex network involving multiple nationalities. Edward and Chinese national Xie Xiangde allegedly forced the victims to work at the facility, while Marshall Islands citizen Martin Q.Y. Zhang, also known as Q. Yun Zhang, who owns Heng Seng Resort and Casino, reportedly coordinated with Thai company Heng Seng Trading Co., Ltd. to transport the victims.
Key evidence includes a property lease contract dated June 22, 2017, showing that BGF’s 4th Brigade, under Colonel Saw Chit Thu’s leadership, leased the property where the alleged crimes occurred.
File photo: Maung Chit Thu, leader of the Border Guard Force (BGF), delivers a speech at the 4th anniversary of the BGF formation in Shwe Kokko Myaine village, Myawaddy Township, Karen State, August 2014. (Karen News)
BGF’s deputy commander in Myawaddy, Lieutenant Colonel Nay Mong Soe, denied the allegations in an interview with DVB News. “We don’t force anyone into our territory,” he stated. “These foreigners don’t fly in or float down from the sky. BGF is ready to cooperate with any country to repatriate their nationals.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) forces handed over 260 victims of international scam call centers to Thai authorities on Wednesday afternoon at the Thai-Myanmar border.
The multinational group, comprising 221 males and 39 females from 20 different countries, was received by a joint task force of Thai officials at Ban Chong Kaep in Tak province’s Phop Phra district. The Ratchamanu Task Force, Border Patrol Police, and local law enforcement coordinated the transfer, using nine trucks to transport the victims to a screening facility at Border Patrol Police Company 346.
The largest group among the rescued victims consisted of 138 Ethiopian nationals, followed by 23 Kenyans and 16 Filipino citizens. Other significant groups included 15 Malaysians, 12 Pakistanis, and 10 Chinese nationals. The diverse group also included individuals from various countries across Asia, Africa, and South America, with single representatives from Tanzania, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Ghana, and India.
Thai authorities are now working with respective embassies to verify the victims’ identities and arrange their safe return to their home countries. This rescue operation marks one of the largest groups of trafficking victims to be transferred from Myanmar to Thailand in recent months.
Tourist Police seize various brands of cigarettes and e-cigarettes illegally sold at a hotel bar in Thailand on Feb. 11, 2025.
KOH PHANGAN — Tourist Police uncovered an illegal tobacco operation at a Koh Phangan resort on Tuesday, where a Serbian-Thai management team was caught selling untaxed cigarettes and e-cigarettes sourced from Bulgaria.
Following reports of illegal tobacco sales near a school, Tourist Police conducted a raid at a hotel in Moo 1, Ban Tai, Koh Phangan, Surat Thani province on February 11 at 6:30 p.m. Officers discovered various brands of cigarettes and e-cigarettes not legally distributed in Thailand being advertised at the hotel’s bar.
During the operation, Thai national Pakorn, the assistant manager, and Serbian national Ivan, the hotel manager, were questioned. The investigation led to the seizure of multiple pieces of evidence. Both suspects admitted to purchasing the tobacco products from a Bulgarian contact for 20,000 baht ($585), selling e-cigarettes for 600 baht ($17.5) each and regular cigarettes for 100 baht ($2.9) per pack, splitting the profits equally.
Tourist Police arrest a foreign woman working without a permit at a Koh Phangan hotel on February 11, 2025.
The case took another turn when officers arrested a British national named Ashley, who was found working at the hotel’s reception without a work permit. She admitted to working in exchange for accommodation and meals while on a tourist visa, having been hired by Ivan.
Both managers face charges related to the possession and sale of untaxed goods without customs clearance which carries a penalty of up to five years imprisonment, or a fine of four times the value of the goods including customs duties, or both. Ashley, who was found working on a tourist visa, faces a maximum fine of 50,000 baht and deportation to her country of origin.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phuek-am, Commander of the Tourist Police Bureau, as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal foreign business operations and various forms of transnational crime in Thailand.
Lisa arrives at the season three premiere of "The White Lotus" on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at Paramount Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
LONDON (AP) — Get ready to check into “The White Lotus” in Thailand for Season 3 — this time, sadly, there’s no room for Jennifer Coolidge, who went overboard in the second season.
With the absence of her fan-favorite character Tanya comes the opportunity for other characters to win over the audience, when it returns to screens on Sky and HBO this Sunday.
Vying for your love or loathing at the indulgent Thailand outpost is Michelle Monaghan’s vacationing TV actor and Aimee Lou Wood’s cool Brit. Natasha Rothwell is back as spa manager Belinda, herself a victim of Tanya’s flighty financial ways in the first season. Blackpink’s Lisa makes her acting debut as a resort employee.
This image released by HBO shows Lalisa Manobal, left, and Tayme Thapthimthong in a scene from “The White Lotus.” (Fabio Lovino/HBO via AP)
As before, in Mike White’s anthology series, the rich holidaymakers are unable to upgrade themselves away from the sense of menace that lurks around the landscaped hotel grounds.
The cast? They’re having a much better time.
A nightmare stay is a dream job
Monaghan cried when she found out she got the role of TV star Jaclyn.
“It was such a big deal and it’s such an exciting opportunity,” she explained, adding that she opened a bottle of Champagne to celebrate. As the show is popular, critically acclaimed and filmed in exotic locations, Monaghan, who recently featured in Apple TV+’s “Bad Monkey,” agrees that starring in White’s prestige drama is “hands down, no doubt about it” the best job on television.
Rothwell agrees with her. She returns as Belinda, who worked at the Hawaii resort, home to Season 1.
“I don’t know what I did in a previous life to deserve this, but I’m so grateful to be a part of this family,” Rothwell says.
This image released by HBO shows Natasha Rothwell in a scene from “The White Lotus.” (Fabio Lovino/HBO via AP)
Viewers told Rothwell that they were mad at the affluent Tanya for not investing in Belinda’s dreams in the first season. The actor attributes this enthusiastic fandom to the show’s initial release during the coronavirus-related lockdowns.
“That’s what people wanted at a time when the world was at a standstill,” she says. “It gave people a chance to sort of imagine and dream and watch the world of high-class vacationing and seeing the underbelly of it.”
There was a bit of jet lag
Not all the of cast found seven months away from home easy. Wood, who previously starred in Netflix’s “Sex Education,” says that living and working on location got “very claustrophobic.”
“Usually you wrap and you go home. But it was like, wrap … and then I would walk five steps to my little room. And then I’d be having breakfast in the morning and be like, ‘Hi,’ to all the crew that walking past,” she explains. Looking back on it now, she treasures the experience before she finally went home to “remember” who she was. “It’s like ‘The Truman Show,’” she joked.
This image released by HBO shows Carrie Coon, from left, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan in a scene from “The White Lotus.” (Fabio Lovino/HBO via AP)
Rothwell’s struggles were less existential, centering instead on the reptilian extras. Her character is half-guest and half-staff, in Thailand on a work trip to learn new rejuvenation techniques to take back to Hawaii.
“I’m very delicate when it comes to green, slimy things. So I had to tap into Belinda’s approach to peace and calm and meditation when I would see those little guys,” says Rothwell, who created and starred in “How to Die Alone.”
Thailand gets top billing
Each season, the cast ventures to a new White Lotus resort in vacation hot spots. This time, along with the scene-stealing monkeys (and reptiles), Thailand itself gets more of a storyline than Hawaii or Sicily did in the first two seasons.
Monaghan says that the characters (and therefore the cast) got to explore on a sightseeing tour: “They really leave the actual White Lotus resort. We see them discovering local joints and they really take in everything that Thailand has to offer. And I think that’s a real departure from what we’ve seen before. And I think it makes the scope of the show feel a lot bigger.”
“Audiences, too, will really love seeing so much of this country,” agrees Rothwell. “It feels like another character.”
This image released by HBO shows Morgana O’Reilly, Arnas Fedaravicius, Christian Friedel, Dom Hetrakul and Lalisa Manobal from “The White Lotus.” (Fabio Lovino/HBO via AP)
What name is the reservation under?
Monaghan’s Jaclyn is on a girls trip with two old school friends, played by Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb. Like her character, Monaghan has struggled to find time to get away with her friends and finds White’s portrayal of the female dynamics true to life.
“I think he tagged along on a girls trip,” she says, describing him as “a real keen observer of human behavior” and “like a sponge.”
“So I think maybe he’d had a similar experience and so he was like, he wanted to bring that into the show,” she added.
Wood’s Chelsea has all the vibes and wardrobe of a vacationing Kate Moss. She’s staying with her older partner Rick (Walton Goggins), who is not much fun to be around.
“She gets some really great lines, Mike has gifted me with that character,” says Wood. “She has got that like rock star girlfriend thing, but her heart is just so gentle.”
There are more women who play staff or vacationers. Blackpink’s Thai singer Lisa, credited here as Lalisa Manoban, stars as Mook — one of the health mentors helping to pamper the guests, alongside Sri Lankan actor Shalini Peiris.
Lisa managed to fit in making her acting debut around working on her upcoming album “Alter Ego.”
Lisa arrives at the season three premiere of “The White Lotus” on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at Paramount Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
“I’m a huge fan of ‘The White Lotus,’” she told The Associated Press at the Los Angeles premiere of the season Monday. “I’m just so happy to be on this.”
Thailand’s Lek Patravadi plays a White Lotus owner — she’s also the resident diva, fabulously dressed and worshipped as such. Soaking up the sun in a family suite is Parker Posey, living the lavish lifestyle of Victoria Ratliff, who is staying with her husband (Jason Isaacs), two sons and daughter Piper, portrayed by Sarah Catherine Hook.
Getting beach-ready
“It was literally like marinating yourself in 100% humidity,” explains Monaghan of her weekly fake tan sessions, endured to get the golden glow of her sun-worshipping character.
“Every Sunday I was applying that fake tan and waiting all while my co-stars were down at the beach, you know, enjoying the sunset, having a beer. I was like in my hotel room waiting for this spray tan to dry,” recalls Monaghan.
Wood got a real tan for the first time in her life. Despite being, in her own words, “translucent,” spending seven months in Thailand gave her a slight color.
“Makes sense why I’ve never got one in like a two-week holibobs,” quips Wood.
This image released by HBO shows Lek Patravadi in a scene from “The White Lotus.” (Fabio Lovino/HBO via AP)
The plus-one question
How do they each rank as potential travel companions? Wood reckons her laid-back character would be a great person to go on holiday with.
“Chelsea honestly could sit outside like a 7-Eleven and have a beer. As long as she had someone to chat to, she just doesn’t mind,” she says. “Although she doesn’t stop talking. But that’s also like me, she is a yapper.”
Rothwell says Belinda’s hospitality knowledge makes her an excellent vacation buddy.
“She’s just a people person and I’m not in real life, like she’s good with people and I’m very much an introvert and, you know, have social anxiety and get nervous tons and I feel like Belinda would get me out of my shell,” Rothwell laughs.
And Monaghan’s Jaclyn has a lot (of money) going for her as a plus-one.
“You’re going to have a good time and she’s paying for it too,” says Monaghan, “so definitely go on holiday with her.”
The Surasak Montri Task Force seizes drugs during a drug smuggling operation on the evening of February 11, 2025.
NAKHON PHANOM — The Surasak Montri Task Force, under the Second Army Area Command, arrested three Laotian nationals during a drug smuggling operation on the evening of February 11 following intelligence reports of planned drug trafficking across the Laos-Thailand border.
The arrests took place along the Mekong River bank in Ban Phaeng Tai area, Ban Phaeng sub-district, Ban Phaeng district, Nakhon Phanom province. The suspects included two teenagers aged 16 and 17, and one 30-year-old adult.
The Surasak Montri Task Force seizes drugs during a drug smuggling operation on the evening of February 11, 2025.
The task force seized a substantial amount of illegal drugs found at the riverbank, including:
16 sacks of crystal methamphetamine (ice), weighing a total of 658 kilograms
58 bundles of methamphetamine pills, approximately 116,000 tablets
The operation was conducted after intelligence sources alerted authorities about planned drug smuggling from Laos into Thailand’s interior through this border area. All three suspects have been detained and are facing legal prosecution.
Lieutenant General Boonsin Phadklang, Commander of the Second Army Area and Commander of the Northeastern Border Precursor Chemical and Drug Interdiction and Suppression Command, has launched operations to arrest drug traffickers in the area and is actively expanding investigations into captured trafficking networks at all levels.
The operation was conducted after intelligence sources alerted authorities about planned drug smuggling from Laos into Thailand’s interior through this border area. All three suspects have been detained and are facing legal prosecution.
FILE - A drawn portrait of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since August 2021, hangs on rails outside of the White House during a demonstration organized by his family, July 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained in Russia, has been released in what the White House described as a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, left Russian airspace with Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, and he’s expected to be reunited with his family by the end of the day.
Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. His family and supporters said he had been traveling with medically prescribed marijuana, and he was designated by President Joe Biden’s administration as wrongfully detained in December.
Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, said the U.S. and Russia “negotiated an exchange” to ensure Fogel’s release. He did not say what the U.S. side of the bargain entailed. Previous negotiations have occasionally involved reciprocal releases of Russians by the U.S. or its allies.
FILE – Ellen Keelan, center, and other family members rally outside the White House for the release of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since August 2021, July 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
Waltz said the development was “a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.” Trump, a Republican, has promised to find a way to end the conflict.
Trump also has talked about having a good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Last month, Trump said that his administration was having “very serious” conversations with Russia about the war.
President Donald Trump, right, and Russia President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session in 2017 at the APEC Summit in Danang. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / Associated Press
Fogel’s relatives said they were “beyond grateful, relieved and overwhelmed” that he was coming home.
“This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” they said. “For the first time in years, our family can look forward to the future with hope.”
There was no immediate comment from Moscow about Fogel’s release on Tuesday.
Other Americans also remain detained in Russia when they weren’t included in a massive prisoner swap last August that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Those include U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Khavana, who was convicted in August of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. The Biden White House at the time called the conviction and sentencing “nothing less than vindictive cruelty.”
Thai officials assist Myanmar migrants who were abandoned and left starving in Rim Si Muang subdistrict, Khao Kho district, Phetchabun province on February 10, 2025.
PHETCHABUN — In a developing story from Phetchabun Province, Thailand, authorities have discovered multiple groups of Myanmar nationals who were allegedly abandoned by human traffickers after being promised work opportunities.
Residents of Rim Si Muang subdistrict in Khao Kho district reported two exhausted-looking foreign men approaching their homes requesting food on Monday night, February 10. Through limited communication, the men indicated that more of their companions were hungry and hiding nearby. Local administrator Paitoon Khotsombat investigated the area and discovered 57 Myanmar nationals in a nearby community forest, including 17 men, 5 women, and 35 minors under the age of 18.
Thai officials assist Myanmar migrants who were abandoned and left starving in Rim Si Muang subdistrict, Khao Kho district, Phetchabun province on February 10, 2025.
Initial investigations revealed that the group had entered Thailand through natural border passages in Mae Sot district, Tak province. They were transported to Nakhon Sawan province and then picked up by trucks with promises of work in Pattaya, Chonburi province. However, they were abandoned in the Khao Kho area.
In a related incident on February 11, police in Tha Pho district apprehended three additional Myanmar men: Ni Ni (28), Aung Zar Lu (25), and Rabi (20). The men disclosed that they were part of a larger group of approximately 40 people who had also entered through Mae Sot on February 9. They were promised further transportation on February 10 but were similarly abandoned.
Thai police officers apprehend three Myanmar nationals found wandering along a public road in Moo 4, Na Ngua subdistrict, Mueang district, Phetchabun province, after being abandoned by human traffickers on February 11, 2025.
None of the migrants possessed legal documentation for entry or stay in Thailand. The authorities are proceeding with legal action under the Immigration Act for illegal entry into the kingdom.
The case highlights ongoing challenges with human trafficking and illegal border crossings in Thailand, particularly along the Myanmar border. Local authorities are continuing their investigation into the trafficking network responsible for transporting and abandoning these individuals.
CP AXTRA Public Company Limited, an operator of Asia’s leading wholesaler and retailer, Makro-Lotus’s, underscores its commitment to Thai children’s health by joining hands with “the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)” to deliver air purifiers to child development centers across all 50 districts of Bangkok. The initiative also aims to create an understanding of effective ways to cope with PM 2.5 pollution through the children’s book “City Dust, Big Trouble,” developed by “the Ananda Mahidol Alumni Club.” This book will be distributed to teachers and students at child development centers. The event was honored by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
CP AXTRA is committed to helping combat PM 2.5 pollution, a pressing environmental issue directly impacting people’s health, particularly young children, who are prone to respiratory diseases. This collaboration underscores CP AXTRA’s commitment to partnering with the government sector to tackle air pollution while enhancing children’s health and well-being, and quality of life. This aligns with BMA’s “Dust-Free Classroom” Project, which aims to upgrade all kindergarten classrooms (K1–K3) under BMA to meet the Ministry of Public Health’s class 2 standard of dust-free classroom.
As part of the commitment to “Supporting Local Community,” CP AXTRA continues to drive sustainability-focused initiatives, reinforcing its dedication to ‘Health and Well-Being’ in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) – ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
File photo: Maung Chit Thu, leader of the Border Guard Force (BGF), delivers a speech at the 4th anniversary of the BGF formation in Shwe Kokko Myaine village, Myawaddy Township, Karen State, August 2014. (Karen News)
BANGKOK — The Minister of Justice has announced that the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is preparing to issue arrest warrants for Maung Chit Thu, the leader of the Border Guard Force (BGF), and a group of Chinese nationals involved in human trafficking in the “Golden Triangle”,” a hub of cross-border crime. The trial will be conducted by extradition.
Thavee Sodsong, Minister of Justice
Pol. Col. Thavee Sodsong, Minister of Justice, explained that DSI, an agency under the Ministry of Justice, is collecting evidence in a human trafficking case to submit to the prosecutor’s office. The case involves the issuance of arrest warrants against BGF leaders, including Col. Saw Chit Thu (also known as Col. Maung Chit Thu), Lt. Col. Moe Thet Htun and Maj. Tin Win.
He pointed out that this case dates back several years and involves Thai nationals who were detained in a neighboring country and were later found to be linked to human trafficking networks. In addition to these three people, other foreign nationals are also involved in the case.
When asked whether these names were the same as those of Liu Zhongyi, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, Pol. Col. Thavee clearly stated that this is not the case. Instead, they are based on the DSI’s own findings. However, he emphasized the need for a thorough investigation as these individuals are prominent figures in public discourse.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and other agencies have gathered additional information. Since the crimes were committed outside the jurisdiction, prosecutors in charge of such cases must be consulted when issuing arrest warrants.
Although this case is being pursued amid ongoing crackdowns on call center fraud syndicates, Pol. Col. Thavee that the DSI works strictly on the basis of evidence and does not react to specific events. He emphasized that DSI investigators must be both qualified and impartial to ensure a speedy and fair trial.
Next steps include expanding investigations into money laundering and asset seizures. As soon as discussions between prosecutors and investigators progress, the Director General of the DSI will make an official announcement.
Regarding the procedure for issuing arrest warrants, Pol. Col. Thavee explained that suspects usually have to be arrested first. As human trafficking is a transnational crime within ASEAN, no country is expected to harbor the perpetrators. Thailand will coordinate with ASEAN members and China on cooperation.
File-General view Myawaddy district in eastern Myanmar, April 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
He acknowledged that areas controlled by ethnic armed groups are within Myanmar’s territory, but reiterated that justice will be served. He emphasized that it is not difficult to apprehend these individuals — what matters is the political will of the leaders to act. If the heads of state and government recognize this problem as a threat to all nations, cooperation is essential.
“I would like to emphasize that these crimes have been going on for years and we must target the masterminds, instigators and those behind them. If we only deal with the victims of human trafficking, we will not solve the root causes of the problem,” he said.
Pol. Col. Thavee also said that arrest warrants will also be issued for Chinese nationals involved in the case. Thailand has been coordinating closely with the ambassadors of China and the United States. The US ambassador recently met with him and briefed him on American citizens who have been victims of scams related to this cross-border crime.
Pol. Col. Thavee Sodsong, Minister of Justice, welcomes and discusses official matters with U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec and delegation at the Ministry of Justice, February 10, 2025.
He described such crimes as a humanitarian catastrophe affecting people around the world, with the Golden Triangle serving as a central hub for these criminal activities, including drug production. Investigations will focus on tracking financial transactions and ensuring rigorous cooperation between the relevant authorities.
Rangsiman Rome, Deputy Leader of the People’s Party and Chairman of the House Committee on State Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy and Country Reform, stated that Maung Chit Thu is a key figure in these transnational crimes. He is heavily involved with both Thai and Myanmar grey money operations and bribery. The issuance of arrest warrants is therefore the right approach.
Cyber Police examine evidence inside a luxury Phuket villa where an illegal gambling network operated an upgraded money transfer system, February 10, 2025.
PHUKET — Thai Cyber Police have arrested six suspects – three Taiwanese nationals and three Thai citizens – in a major crackdown on an international online gambling operation in Phuket. The suspects were operating from a luxury house, managing an upgraded money laundering system for multiple gambling websites.
Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan led the operation dubbed “Island Closure, Transnational Grey Capital Takedown,” executing a search warrant at a luxury villa on Thepkasattri Road in Koh Kaew district on February 10. Officers seized 119 mobile phones, 2 computers, 19 bank passbooks, and illegal drugs including 6 ecstasy pills and 74.5 grams of ketamine.
The operation uncovered a sophisticated financial network where the gang rented luxury properties as command centers, frequently relocating to avoid detection. They developed a specialized financial system allowing gamblers to deposit funds through custom applications, automatically transferring money across multiple accounts simultaneously – an upgrade from traditional sequential transfers.
Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan led the operation dubbed “Island Closure, Transnational Grey Capital Takedown,” executing a search warrant at a luxury villa on Thepkasattri Road in Koh Kaew District, Phuket Province, on February 10, 2025.
Investigation revealed the operation handled over 20 million baht ($286,000) in transactions. The Taiwanese suspects confessed to receiving 50,000 baht ($1,465) monthly salaries to manage the system 24/7, verifying transactions and coordinating with Thai nationals who provided face verification for bank accounts. Thai accomplices earned 2,500 baht ($73) per bank account registration plus 20,000 baht ($587) monthly for face scanning services.
Police have warrants for 29 suspects, with 26 still at large. Charges include operating illegal gambling platforms, money laundering, trading in bank accounts and phone numbers for criminal purposes, and illegal drug possession.
Cyber Police withheld the names of the Taiwanese suspects during the press conference on February 11, as FBI investigators are expanding their investigation. The network is allegedly connected to scam operations targeting victims in the United States.
