CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Provincial Police Region 5 conducted a major raid on a Chinese-run call center operating out of a luxury riverside villa in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai. The operation, led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Kritthaphon Yeesakorn, Regional Police Commander, and his deputies, resulted in the arrest of 20 suspects and the seizure of more than 100 mobile phones and numerous Chinese SIM cards.
The call center, reportedly rented for 120,000 baht per month by its Chinese boss, had been using the property along the Ping River, valued at around 90 million baht, as a base to defraud victims in China. Some of the suspects attempted to escape during the raid, with a number fleeing into the river and surrounding forest. Police are actively pursuing over ten additional suspects still at large.
Investigations revealed that the operation specialized in parcel and life insurance scams targeting Chinese nationals. Workers were brought in from China on tourist or student visas, working 09:00–22:00 daily for salaries between 100,000–200,000 baht per month. Authorities will continue to dismantle the network and coordinate with the Chinese consulate in Chiang Mai to verify the operation. All arrested suspects face charges including organized crime and fraud, and will eventually be repatriated to China after serving their sentences in Thailand.
