Thailand arrested 5 small gambling groups entering the country with student visas.

The Immigration Bureau of Chonburi Province, Thailand, recently received a report alleging that Chinese nationals were involved in illegal criminal activities in a local rental property. The police, in collaboration with the Third Division of the Immigration Bureau, the Tourist Police, and the Nongprue Police Station, initiated an investigation and discovered that the group was secretly operating an online gambling customer service, providing fund exchange services for Chinese customers and assisting with gambling transactions.

Investigation of the den: Holding student visas, secretly engaged in gambling customer service

Law enforcement found that the house was rented by Chinese nationals, with numerous Chinese men and women frequently entering and exiting, suspected to be a den for online gambling customer service.

Further investigation revealed that these individuals were primarily responsible for customer service on gambling websites, providing fund exchange and transaction assistance, and had been covertly operating at this location for about two months. The police then gathered evidence and legally applied to the court for a search warrant.

Police raid, 5 Chinese arrested, all visas expired

On the afternoon of February 24, 2025, the police conducted a surprise inspection of the residence based on a search warrant issued by the Pattaya Court. During the operation, the police found 5 Chinese citizens (4 men and 1 woman, aged 32-41), all entered with student visas, but their visas had expired, constituting illegal stay.

The police seized the tools used in the crime on the spot, including:

3 laptops

29 mobile phones

Preliminary investigations showed that these 5 suspects violated Article 8 of the "2017 Foreign Employment Management Act" for working illegally without a work permit and have been legally arrested by the police.

Currently, the case is still under investigation, and the suspects and seized items have been transferred to the Nongprue Police Station for processing, with possible deportation or other legal sanctions to follow. The Thai police continue to strengthen the crackdown on illegal gambling and remind all foreigners to work legally in Thailand to avoid violating immigration laws.