PATTAYA, Thailand – Three Thai bank employees in Pattaya have been arrested for allegedly aiding a Chinese-led call center scam syndicate in laundering over 2.2 billion baht through fraudulent bank accounts. The arrests, announced on May 21 by the Royal Thai Police and the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), follow a sweeping investigation into a transnational cybercrime ring exploiting Thailand’s financial system.
The gang, composed of Chinese nationals who entered Thailand on tourist visas, opened multiple bank accounts in the Banglamung area of Chonburi with the assistance of local agents and bank insiders. Within days of opening the accounts, tens of millions of baht were withdrawn and the suspects quickly left the country. Investigators became suspicious after identifying a coordinated effort in which 15 Chinese nationals opened accounts at the same bank branch and immediately withdrew over 91 million baht from the 118 million baht deposited.
The operation has been linked to at least 106 fraud complaints, affecting more than 2,000 victims and resulting in financial damages estimated at over 2.2 billion baht. Authorities issued arrest warrants for five Thai suspects, including three bank employees—Ms. Sirilak, Ms. Chutima, and Mr. Songpol—who are accused of facilitating the criminals’ access to financial services and turning a blind eye to red flags during the account opening process. Two others, Ms. Monthida and Mr. Narongrit, an interpreter and a local agent, were also arrested for their roles in the operation.
Meanwhile, four Chinese nationals—Mr. Yang, Mr. Xie, Mr. Hang, and Mr. Wu—have been charged with fraud, money laundering, and violations of Thailand’s Computer Crimes Act. Police say these arrests mark a shift in tactics, as foreign scam gangs are now directly entering the country to open bank accounts themselves, rather than relying on Thai citizens as “money mules.”
Authorities are now stepping up efforts to tighten banking regulations and are urging financial institutions to be more vigilant when handling account openings, particularly for foreign nationals.
