BANGKOK – Crime Suppression Division Police, along with Cyber Crime Division police, have arrested a Chinese online gambling kingpin linked to the “Shwe Kok Ko” network at the request of the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok
The suspect, who is wanted under an arrest warrant from the People’s Republic of China, was hiding in Pattaya. Authorities discovered over 13 billion baht in circulating funds from his operations. He will be extradited to face charges.
On 9 April 2026, Pol. Col. Nopparat Khammak, Superintendent of the Patrol Unit, Crime Suppression Division, along with Pol. Lt. Col. Phongpiti Trinikom, Inspector of the Patrol Unit, Crime Suppression Division, and officers from the Cyber police, arrested Mr. Pei Min Si (or Pei Minzhi), a Chinese national, in front of a residential house in Soi Chomthian 14, Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. The arrest followed the revocation of his right to stay in the Kingdom of Thailand.
Investigation revealed that Mr. Pei Min Si was a key figure operating online gambling platforms across more than 239 channels, with over 330,000 members participating in betting.
The arrest highlights the effectiveness of modern surveillance in tracking international fugitives. The suspect had gone to great lengths to evade capture and mask his movements across Asia:
- May 2024: The suspect fled Thailand for Vientiane, Laos, using a Chinese passport.
- August 2025: He re-entered Thailand surreptitiously.
- The Disguise: To deceive border officials, he presented a passport from St. Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean nation often used in “citizenship by investment” schemes.
The operations covered 31 provinces across China, generating illegal turnover of 2,775 billion yuan (approximately 13.18 billion baht). This is considered a serious offense with massive impacts on China’s economy and society.
Further in-depth information also showed that the suspect is connected to a transnational criminal organization behind the “Shwe Kok Ko” (New City Kingdom) in Myanmar. He served as the leader of the syndicate, which has been running cross-border gambling operations since 2016, earning at least 2.4 billion baht in illegal profits.
Travel history checks revealed that the suspect had been concealing his identity. On 26 May 2024, he left Thailand for Vientiane using a Chinese passport. He then secretly re-entered Thailand on 15 August 2025 using a passport from Saint Kitts and Nevis to deceive immigration officers. However, facial recognition comparison confirmed his true identity.
Initially, authorities detained the suspect and transferred him to the Immigration Bureau’s Investigation Division 3 (Suan Phlu) for legal proceedings. They are awaiting official confirmation from the Chinese Embassy before coordinating his extradition to face charges under the arrest warrant issued by the Zhenjiang City Public Security Bureau in China at the end of last year.
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