On June 16, 2025, the Thailand Technology Crime Suppression Division held a public briefing in Trang province, revealing a major online gambling case that shocked the nation. The platform involved, named "auto ufabet-pgslot", operated various gambling activities including sports betting, live dealers, slot machines, and fishing games, with annual revenues exceeding 100 million Thai Baht. The victim group included many teenagers, raising widespread social concerns.
The police investigation showed that the platform had a well-organized structure with clear division of labor, including full-time "salespeople" and "customer service" teams, specifically using online promotions to attract bets from the public. Additionally, the criminal group relied on a so-called "horse account" mechanism for collecting and disbursing gambling funds, with substantial amounts of money flowing between the platform and gamblers.
Following intelligence tracking and targeting, the police raided a suspicious residence in the Ratchagan district of Bangkok and successfully arrested the main suspect, 41-year-old Supasawat Sawatdeemongkol. The search of the premises yielded computers, 6 mobile phones, several bank account books, ATM cards, and a 9mm handgun with ammunition, providing substantial physical evidence.
In preliminary interrogations, the suspect confessed to being responsible for the platform's daily financial operations, including fund inflows and outflows, and transfer management. According to his statement, he handled an average of about 2 million Thai Baht in monthly financial transactions, used to pay player winnings and shares to the controllers behind the scenes, with his personal monthly compensation around 70,000 Thai Baht.
The police have formally charged him with illegal online gambling operations, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms, among other offenses, and have transferred the relevant physical evidence to the prosecutor's office, with the case moving into the prosecution phase.
