South Korean man arrested by Thai police for fraud

Chon Buri Immigration Bureau arrested a notorious South Korean fugitive for fraud and a call centre syndicate on Wednesday.

Acting swiftly on intelligence shared by foreign counterparts, immigration officers seized 51 year old Oh Suk Yeon in Pattaya for orchestrating a call centre fraud ring that preyed on unsuspecting victims back in South Korea.

According to Chon Buri Immigration, this audacious syndicate, headquartered in China, employed a range of cunning tactics, duping victims into transferring staggering sums, with losses soaring above 200 million won within a mere fortnight.

Oh, who had fled to Chon Buri last September, found temporary refuge until his arrest in a rented condominium along Pattaya Second Road. Yet, his days on the lam came to an abrupt halt on February 21, reported Pattaya News.

Upon apprehension, authorities slapped Oh with charges of overstaying his visa, promptly transferring him to the Pattaya police station for further legal proceedings. Oh faces deportation in strict accordance with Thai law.

In related news, South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed while making a public announcement in Busan on January 2. Following the incident, authorities immediately apprehended the attacker. Lee, who lost the presidential election in 2022, was transported to the hospital approximately 20 minutes post-assault and is currently conscious. Lee Jae-myung, who suffered a defeat in the 2022 presidential polls, was stabbed on the left side of his neck.

In other news, Korean Air unveiled plans for two more weekly flights from Incheon to Bangkok, reflecting the resurgent appetite for travel as the world emerges from the grip of the pandemic.

Kim Jongmin, the airline’s country manager, revealed that the added flights on the Incheon-Don Mueang route are in response to surging demand, particularly from South Koreans seeking reprieve from the winter blues in January and February. Currently, the airline operates five flights per week from Incheon to Bangkok, alongside routes to Phuket and Chiang Mai.