CHIANG MAI – Immigration police officers have raided another suspected Chinese call centre base in Saraphi, seizing hundreds of bank books and phones. The team searched a two-storey luxury house in a gated estate in Nong Phueng, Saraphi district, after learning that Chinese nationals had rented the property.
During the operation on 11 November, officers arrested a Chinese man believed to be the housekeeper for the operation. They found 174 mobile phones used to receive transfers, 277 bank passbooks, 73 ATM cards on the second floor, and two computers. Transfers were still coming into the accounts while the police were making the arrest.
The seized passbooks were from several mule bank accounts, split as follows: Bangkok Bank 187, Krungthai 50, TTB 12, Kasikornbank 15, Government Savings Bank 6, Thanachart 6, and Siam Commercial Bank 1. The ATM cards were from Krungthai 3, Kasikornbank 1, Bangkok Bank 63, TTB 4, and Siam Commercial Bank 2.
Pol Maj Gen Sarawut Khonyai, Commander of Immigration Division 5, said the suspect is part of a call centre network that scams Thai victims. This location acted as a hub to receive funds, then move the money out quickly. Investigators believe each account saw daily inflows of no less than 400,000 baht.
While searching the property, officers also found another Chinese man who had arrived to meet the suspect. He was detained, along with communication devices and bank documents found in the boot of a car. Police are now expanding the investigation to locate the group’s office used to call and deceive victims, and to identify their methods.
Initial charges include possessing other people’s electronic cards for unlawful use, likely to cause damage to others or the public, and aiding or facilitating the commission of offences by others, either before or during the crime.
These offences relate to buying, selling, renting, or borrowing bank accounts, electronic cards, or e-wallet accounts for use in technology-related crimes, under the Royal Decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crimes B.E. 2566.
The suspects and seized items have been handed to the Technology Crime Suppression Division 4 for further action.
Pol Col Komsan Meepakdee, Superintendent of TCSD 4, asked residents to report any houses rented by Chinese nationals with unusual comings and goings, so officers can check promptly.
Crime Suppression Police report Chinese-run scam networks have become a major cross-border crime in northern Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Tak. The operations include call centre scams, pig-butchering romance and investment fraud, and cryptocurrency cons that hit victims around the world, including in China, the US, and Europe.
Many groups operate from across the Myanmar border in places like Myawaddy, which is linked to forces such as the Karen Border Guard Force and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army.
Thailand serves as a transit hub, a recruitment pool, and an operational base, thanks to its location, transport links, and porous borders. Local Thais are often hired for entry-level roles, while Chinese nationals manage leadership and technical work.
The trade generates vast sums each year, with Thailand-linked networks thought to pull in up to 2 billion dollars. Profits are commonly laundered through Thai banks and property. Human trafficking is widespread.
Victims from China, India, Africa, and Southeast Asia are lured with fake job offers in IT or sales, then forced to scam under threats of violence or torture. Since early 2025, crackdowns have stepped up, pushed in part by Chinese pressure after high-profile cases such as the January abduction of actor Wang Xing from Thailand into Myanmar.
