Thailand arrests 20,000 people a year in a triple crackdown on illegal hunting.

Recently, there has been significant activity in Thailand. First, visa and immigration inspections have become stricter, with some individuals on student visas being interrogated for three hours at the airport; subsequently, there has been a crackdown on Chinese nationals opening bank accounts, with a large number of accounts being frozen. Additionally, the Thai Prime Minister's Office announced the results for Q1 2025: over 4600 individuals involved in activities such as gambling were arrested. At this rate, Thailand could arrest 20,000 people per year.

After the decline of POGO, Thailand, with its geographical, lifestyle, and security advantages, has become a popular destination for offshore gambling operators. However, the reality is that gambling remains illegal in Thailand, and even those engaged in legal work are not allowed to participate in related activities on non-work visas. Therefore, the only option for those involved in gambling is to operate covertly, which requires passing through three barriers.

The first barrier: Visa

Currently, the majority of covert operators use visa types including visa exemption extensions, business, language, volunteer, student, elite, and DTV visas. These are not intended for labor services but have become the main channels to bypass work visas. The Thai government has precisely identified these deceptive practices. In April, the Ministry of Education notified several Chinese educational institutions to submit foreign student data, with direct revocation of qualifications and fines for any issues.

Moreover, the Minister of Tourism and Sports suggested reducing the visa exemption stay for Chinese tourists from 90 to 30 days to limit illegal overstays. Even with a visa, entry is not easy. Immigration officers conduct random checks, and those with student visas may face thorough questioning in Thai about their courses and schools. Obtaining a visa and entering the country are both challenging, representing the first barrier.

The second barrier: Difficulty in hiding

After parks became unusable, teams have turned to renting villas and apartments, setting up proxies, and using VPNs to integrate the entire system into residential buildings; however, this sense of security is illusory. The Ministry of Digital Economy has begun collaborating with the Ministry of Telecommunications to monitor traffic patterns: abnormal uploads/downloads, high-frequency port calls, and concurrent use of multiple devices at one address, all of which are marked as suspicious.

Once an address is pinpointed, the police, along with cyber security and immigration officials, will visit. News reports indicate that a covert operation studio in Bangkok was raided, resulting in the arrest of three Chinese nationals. Covert operations do not guarantee safety. The second barrier is narrowing.

The third barrier: Public reporting

The most difficult to guard against is not the police, but neighbors. According to Thailand's Gambling Act Amendment Article 15, if a report leads to a conviction, the court may order the offender to pay half of the fine to the reporter. If unpaid, the fine may be deducted from the offender's property.

There are numerous reporting channels, including calling the 191 or 1178 hotline, or private messaging police on social media.

The rewards are tempting, and the threshold is very low. If you exhibit unusual behavior, cover your windows and work overnight, or act suspiciously, you might be reported. Although Thailand appears tolerant on the surface, once mobilized, the accuracy of reporting is comparable to that in the Philippines.

The only positive aspect is that, with a high proportion of Chinese residents, a Chinese face is not unusual, providing some buffer.

Therefore, under the current environment, to operate safely in Thailand, one must avoid triggering any of the three barriers. Safe entry, choosing quiet locations, maintaining a low profile, and harmonious neighborhood relations are the limited safe strategies currently available.

This article is for educational sharing, hoping to provide warnings and assistance to operators. Wishing all covert operators safety.

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