PATTAYA – Tourist Police in Pattaya carried out two fast-moving raids on March 24, 2026, breaking up two large online gambling operations based in luxury villas in Bang Lamung district. In total, officers arrested 68 Indian nationals and disrupted networks believed to have handled about 2.3 billion baht per year, or roughly US$70 million.
The back-to-back raids show Thailand’s stronger push against illegal online gambling. These groups often misuse tourist visas and run betting sites aimed at players overseas, especially in India.
First Villa Raid Uncovers Large Gambling Operation
Officers from the Tourist Police Bureau, along with Nong Prue tourist police and immigration officials, searched a two-story villa with a swimming pool in tambon Nong Prue, close to Mabprachan Reservoir. Inside, they found 43 Indian nationals allegedly working as admins for gambling websites based abroad.
Police said the ground floor had been turned into a small office. During the search, they seized 33 computers, 50 mobile phones, and 27 SIM cards. Investigators linked the group to 23 gambling websites, many of which appeared to target Indian users. Examples included clickbetexch1, unicon360, and puple399.
According to police, each site brought in about 600,000 Indian rupees per day, or around 200,000 baht. As a result, the operation’s yearly turnover was estimated at 1.6 billion baht.
The villa reportedly cost 120,000 baht a month to rent and had been in use for more than a year. A person known as “AK” was said to handle supplies and daily support. Staff numbers also changed often so the total stayed under 50 at one time.
The case started with a month-long investigation after undercover officers received a tip about unusual activity at the property. Neighbors had noticed large groups of foreigners, steady food deliveries, and vans coming and going.
Police then watched the villa from the ground and from the air before getting a search warrant from the Pattaya Provincial Court.
Second Raid Targets Another Villa in Nong Prue
Later that same day, officers from Immigration Division 3 moved on a second rented luxury villa in the same tambon Nong Prue area. There, they arrested 25 more Indian nationals who were allegedly running major online gambling websites, including sites tied to the “777” brand.
Police said the group had turned the garage into a hidden office with glass walls and dark windows to avoid attention. The suspects lived inside the villa and split the work into clear roles, including marketing, accounting, and customer service. They also tried to stay out of sight by keeping supplies stocked on-site.
During the raid, authorities seized more than 80 electronic devices, including desktop computers, laptops, and mobile phones. Data found during the search linked the group to three large gambling platforms that reportedly took in about 5.6 million Indian rupees each day. That put the estimated annual turnover at around 700 million baht.
Officials said all 25 suspects had entered Thailand on tourist visas and were charged right away.
Charges Facing the 68 Arrested Suspects
All 68 people arrested face charges related to working without permits or doing work beyond what their tourist visas allow. Those charges fall under Thailand’s Foreign Workers Management Act.
After the arrests, officers took the suspects to Nong Prue Police Station for more questioning. Police stressed that the work was illegal under Thai law. Foreign nationals on tourist visas cannot take paid jobs in Thailand, especially in banned sectors such as online gambling support and administration.
The suspects may face fines and short jail terms for labor and immigration offenses. After court action or payment of fines, foreign nationals found in violation are often deported.
In many cases, deportation also comes with placement on Thailand’s immigration blacklist. That can block re-entry for five years or longer, depending on the case.
At the same time, investigators are still tracking the money behind both networks and looking into links in Thailand and overseas. If police uncover other crimes, such as money laundering, the charges could become much more serious.
Authorities have also not ruled out possible extradition requests from India or other countries if the gambling platforms broke laws outside Thailand.
Thailand Steps Up Action Against Illegal Online Gambling
Thailand continues to take a hard line on illegal gambling, which remains banned under the Gambling Act. In recent years, online betting groups have spread quickly, often using rented villas in tourist hubs like Pattaya as hidden work sites.
These two raids fit into a wider national crackdown. Between October 2025 and February 2026, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society blocked more than 437,000 illegal website URLs. Most of them, over 362,000, were linked to online gambling.
Officials are also going after related crimes, including visa abuse, illegal work, and cross-border scam operations. Campaigns such as “Bad Guys Out” have already led to hundreds of arrests involving foreign nationals accused of immigration offenses and organized crime.
Pattaya has long been known for its nightlife and large expat population. Because of that, the city has seen repeated police action against illegal gambling setups. Investigators say these operations do more than dodge taxes. They can also support money laundering and draw in other criminal activity.
Pol Col Man Rotthong, a bureau investigator, said the first villa had a highly organized setup. He also confirmed that police are working to identify the full chain behind the operation, from local handlers to the financial backers.
Why These Raids Matter for Tourists and Expats
The message from Thai authorities is clear. Tourists are welcome, but illegal work and gambling are not. Foreign nationals who break visa rules can face arrest, detention, fines, deportation, and blacklisting.
Places like Pattaya remain popular with visitors from around the world. Still, officials are reminding travelers to follow the terms of their visas. For regular tourists who obey the law, these enforcement actions should have no effect.
Police also say operations like this help protect Thailand’s image as a travel destination by reducing the risk of links to global criminal networks.
Officials say more raids are likely as police improve their intelligence work through undercover operations, digital tracking, and cooperation with other countries. In addition, coordination with Indian authorities may grow as both sides look at how these platforms operate and who they target.
Thailand is also strengthening its tools for online enforcement so it can block illegal websites more quickly and freeze connected financial accounts.
For now, all 68 suspects remain in custody while the investigation continues. The one-day crackdown also shows closer teamwork between Tourist Police and Immigration officers as they go after organized cross-border crime.
