5 Chinese arrested for 1 million baht scam on old Thai woman
Police arrested five Chinese nationals in the southern province of Yala for stealing 800,000 baht in gold and 150,000 baht in cash from an old Thai woman on February 12.
The 71 year old victim, Jiraporn, filed a complaint with Betong Police Station after falling victim to the Chinese scammers. She reported that the scammers approached her outside an electrical appliance store on Sukhayang Road in the Betong district of Yala that morning.
Two Chinese women pretended to be looking for a Chinese man named Wang Taisue. When Jiraporn said she did not know him, two other Chinese women approached her and offered to tell her fortune.
Jiraporn said she was impressed by the fortune-telling skills of the women, who accurately described how many children she had and who among them had passed away.
The scam gang then lied to Jiraporn, claiming her daughter was in trouble and that a ritual was necessary to ward off bad luck.
The women convinced Jiraporn to take them to her home, where they urged her to place all her valuables and cash in a plastic bag as part of the ritual. After completing the ritual, they instructed her not to open the bag for a month.
Scam ritual
However, Jiraporn grew suspicious of their behaviour and decided to open the bag. Inside, she found only a bottle of water and a packet of dishwashing liquid. Her 800,000 baht in gold and 150,000 baht in cash were missing.
Jiraporn added that she could have lost even more money if the bank had been open that day. Before meeting the scammers, she attempted to withdraw more cash but was unable to do so because the bank was closed.
Police arrested the suspects the following day, February 13, at a hotel in Yala. The five Chinese nationals involved in the scam were identified as:
- 49 year old Xu Yueqin
- 52 year old Xiang Guiqin
- 49 year old Zhu Mianfang
- 49 year old Li Haiyang
- 50 year old Ke Kuangxian
During the arrest, police recovered some of the stolen valuables, including approximately 600,000 baht in gold and 30,000 baht in cash.
Three of the suspects, Yueqin, Guiqin, and Mianfang, admitted to arriving in Thailand via Bangkok on tourist visas. They rented a car and hired a Chinese couple in Thailand as drivers.
They claimed this was their first offence and said they obtained only 600,000 baht in gold and 30,000 baht in cash from the victim. They also alleged that some of the stolen gold necklaces were fake. Police, however, suspected they already sold part of the stolen items and split the proceeds.
Haiyang and Kuangxian denied any involvement in the scam, claiming they were only responsible for driving the car.
Officers have yet to specify the legal charges against the suspects. However, under Section 341 of the Criminal Law, which covers deceiving another person to obtain valuables, the offenders could face a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.
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