Chiang Mai Police Arrests 12 Chinese Linked to Cross-Border Scams

CHIANG MAI – Police have arrested 12 Chinese and 6 Myanmar nationals connected to a cross-border call centre scam. The group had been renting luxury homes in Chiang Mai, each worth around 40 million baht, to run their criminal operations.

On 30 July 2568, officers led by Police Major General Thawatchai Phongwiwatchai, Deputy Commissioner of Region 5 Police, coordinated with cybercrime and tourist police to raid a high-end property in the Huai Sai area of Mae Rim district.

The team acted on a court warrant, searching the house, which had been used as a base to scam Chinese victims. Inside, officers found the suspects working on computers and mobile phones, contacting people in China through various social media and online platforms.

When police entered, some suspects tried to escape. Several jumped from the second floor, about eight metres high. Eight people were injured, with one suffering a broken leg. Others had minor injuries from falls and scrapes.

In the search, police seized more than 20 computers, over 100 mobile phones, and dozens of Chinese SIM cards, all used to contact and trick over ten Chinese victims.

Major General Thawatchai said the suspects had arrived in Thailand around three months ago. A Chinese ringleader organized the house rental for the group, who worked and lived inside full-time.

Each person was paid between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan monthly (roughly 50,000 to 100,000 baht). Their main job was to scam Chinese citizens through various schemes, including fake online sales, airline and banking scams, and threats disguised as official calls.

Police are now looking into the wider network behind this operation. They are investigating who hired the suspects and if there are links to major international cybercrime groups.

Investigations are ongoing as Thai authorities step up efforts against foreign-run scams targeting people overseas.

Many scam operations are led by Chinese criminal masterminds, often operating from neighbouring countries like Myanmar or Cambodia to evade Thai authorities.

Police report there has been an increase in Chinese-led scam operations in northern Thailand, particularly in areas like Chiang Mai and along the Thai-Myanmar border.