CHIANG RAI – Police have detained a couple from Surin after they were found acting suspiciously in a pickup truck parked along the Mekong River in Chiang Saen. A search of the vehicle uncovered 2.1 million baht in cash hidden in a plastic clothes box. The pair could not explain where the money came from, so officials seized it for inspection.
On Monday, Capt. Pakorn Maniam, commander of the Mekong Riverine Peacekeeping Unit (NRK) in Chiang Rai, together with Lt. Worawit Noppakao, head of the Chiang Saen boat station, and officers from Chiang Saen Police Station, seized the money as evidence. The cash consisted of 1,000 baht notes, 2,000 in total, adding up to 2,100,000 baht, along with two mobile phones.
The operation followed a report received on the evening of November 30th. Police were told that a suspicious pickup truck, possibly carrying illegal goods, had been seen on the road running along the Mekong River at the border between Thailand, Lao PDR, and Myanmar, near Wiang sub-district, Chiang Saen district. A team was sent to check the area.
Police found a Ford Ranger pickup with Bangkok registration plates. The driver was identified as Mr Phailin, 43, from Krapho sub-district, Thatum district, Surin province. A woman, Mrs Duangsapa, 40, who lives at the same address, was travelling with him.
The police officers asked to search the vehicle and found a plastic storage box for clothes placed in the back of the truck. When they opened it, they discovered a large amount of cash, matching the 2.1 million baht later counted and seized.
The police officers questioned the couple about the source of the money, but neither could give clear details or present any documents to show where it came from.
Officers grew suspicious that the cash might be linked to illegal activities, so they confiscated the money and told the owners to bring all related evidence and explain the money trail to investigators. The seized cash was taken to Chiang Saen Police Station, where it will be held pending further proof and investigation.
Chiang Rai, Thailand’s northernmost province on the borders with Myanmar and Laos, has become a major hub for money laundering in recent years. Its position close to the Golden Triangle, a well-known centre for drug production and cross-border crime, makes it easier for dirty money from scams, drug trafficking, and online gambling to move through the area.
Criminal groups, many linked to Chinese syndicates, take advantage of weak border controls, mule bank accounts, and online platforms to wash billions of baht each year. Thai agencies such as the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) have stepped up their efforts, leading to hundreds of arrests in 2025 alone.
The problem still runs deep, driven by complex networks that use human trafficking, AI-based scams, and high-value property deals to hide and move illegal funds.
