Crime News

Thailand crime news, breaking reports, investigations, and law enforcement updates—stay informed on drug trafficking, cybercrime, corruption, and public safety developments. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for crime news in Thailand.

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  • Man in Samut Prakan arrested for allegedly selling assault rifles on Instagram

    Man in Samut Prakan arrested for allegedly selling assault rifles on Instagram

    Police arrested a man in Samut Prakan, southeast of Bangkok, for allegedly possessing war weapons and attempting to sell assault rifles online through Instagram under the account “dewaffen,” the name of a Nazi military branch. The “dewaffen” Instagram page for “Oz John Woo” has a combination of cat photos and gun photos. The bio says “military support/ small arms import/export…

  • US charges 3 North Korean officials with stealing cryptocurrencies

    US charges 3 North Korean officials with stealing cryptocurrencies

    The US Justice Department is accusing North Korea of stealing crypto and traditional currencies and is charging 3 military intelligence officials with the alleged crime. President Joe Biden is calling the incident a “global campaign of criminality.” The accusations include hacking and malware operation cyberattacks to steal $1.3 billion US dollars from banks and other institutions. The actions were allegedly…

  • Another Thai teacher accused of abusing young student

    Another Thai teacher accused of abusing young student

    Another teacher is under harsh criticism after a student’s mother accused the educator of slapping her 5 year old child so hard that his lips cracked open causing him to be unable to each lunch. The alleged incident happened when the 5 year old kindergartner swore at his friend, admittedly saying the words, “You ass!” for stealing his pencil box,…

  • Some Thai Airways employees accused of faking death certificates for funeral allowances

    Some Thai Airways employees accused of faking death certificates for funeral allowances

    In yet another case of alleged corruption linked to Thai Airways, some employees are accused of using fake death certificates to receive funeral allowances provided through the company’s savings cooperative, causing an estimated 14 million baht in damages. A complaint was filed today with the Crime Suppression Division by 20 members of the Savings Cooperative for Employees of Thai Airways…

  • Thai woman arrested for allegedly running labour trafficking operation linked to Samut Sakhon market

    Thai woman arrested for allegedly running labour trafficking operation linked to Samut Sakhon market

    Police arrested a 45 year old Thai woman for allegedly running the country’s largest illegal labour trafficking operation and bringing undocumented Burmese migrants into Thailand to work at the Central Shrimp Market in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the new wave of Covid-19 infections. Ratree “Jay Phet” Vechsuwan was arrested on Friday. Police say she trafficked migrant workers for more…

  • Police search for “ninja thief” in Nonthaburi neighbourhood

    Police search for “ninja thief” in Nonthaburi neighbourhood

    Police are searching for a suspect who many are calling a “ninja thief” after a series of robberies in a neighbourhood in Nonthaburi, just outside Bangkok, where a robber entered the homes through top floor windows. Residents have put up posters in the neighbourhood with an image of a ninja, warning others about the robberies. So far, 10 robberies were…

  • Police raid Bangkok bar, 13 people arrested for allegedly violating Emergency Decree

    Police raid Bangkok bar, 13 people arrested for allegedly violating Emergency Decree

    Police in Bangkok arrested 13 people at a rooftop bar in the Phra Khanong area. The bar staff allegedly served alcohol to customers, violating the city’s ban on booze sales at restaurants which was put in place to limit gatherings and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Under the emergency regulations in Bangkok, bars and nightclubs are ordered to close…

  • UPDATE: SPM Shopping Mall Scam – do you know someone involved? | VIDEO

    UPDATE: SPM Shopping Mall Scam – do you know someone involved? | VIDEO

    So the fallout of the SPM Shopping Mall app scam continues and police around the country are being swamped with official complaints from aggrieved victims, some who lost hundreds of thousands of baht. Police have already started arresting people allegedly involved with the scam, or who may have been facilitating or encouraging others to join in the pyramid scheme. A…

  • DSI raids Thai model agency, finds 500,000 photos and videos of child pornography

    DSI raids Thai model agency, finds 500,000 photos and videos of child pornography

    Around a half a million pornographic photos and videos of children allegedly from a Thai modelling agency were seized by officers from the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI. Officers raided the modelling agency, which is run from a home in a Pathum Thani neighbourhood, and arrested the owner of the agency. Police say the home had a studio with…

  • Man arrested for allegedly killing baby step-daughter who wouldn’t stop crying

    Man arrested for allegedly killing baby step-daughter who wouldn’t stop crying

    A 25 year old man has been arrested in the eastern town of Si Racha, after he allegedly confessed to killing his 1 year old step-daughter because she wouldn’t stop crying. The Pattaya News reports that Worakit Jitprasong told police he didn’t mean to kill the child, only to stop her crying. Officers who arrived at the property in the…

  • 200 people file complaints with Pattaya police after losing money from alleged pyramid scheme

    200 people file complaints with Pattaya police after losing money from alleged pyramid scheme

    Pattaya police say 200 people have filed complaints after losing money to the dodgy online money-making app by “SPM Shopping Mall,” which appears to be a huge pyramid scheme. This week alone, 70 people, Thai nationals and foreigners, filed complaints with Pattaya City Police. Officers suspect around 10,000 people in Thailand fell victim to the scam, losing millions of baht…

  • Man arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station

    Man arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station

    A 23 year old man was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station station in Suphan Buri. The 53 year old police officer, who was wearing civilian clothes, had approached a group who were drinking outside the PTT station, telling them to turn down the music and advising them to go home, a witness…

  • Huge pyramid scheme and scam uncovered involving 1000s of people | VIDEO

    Huge pyramid scheme and scam uncovered involving 1000s of people | VIDEO

    Tens of thousands of people across Thailand woke up over the past 24 hours that they have been victims of a dodgy online money-making app concocted by the “SPM Shopping Mall” through the website www.shopping.baironghj.com This is roughly how it works… Victims would transfer money to to a Thai account… all online. The app promised returns of up to a…

  • Thai man who found rare orange pearl arrested on drug charges

    Thai man who found rare orange pearl arrested on drug charges

    The Thai man who found what is believed to be a rare orange pearl worth millions of baht was arrested on drug charges. Turns out he’s a suspect in a drug case. And with his multimillion baht find getting both national and international media attention, Thai police were able to track him down and arrest him at his home by…

  • Police bust alleged illegal surrogacy ring, Thai women allegedly gave birth for overseas buyers

    Police bust alleged illegal surrogacy ring, Thai women allegedly gave birth for overseas buyers

    An alleged illegal transnational surrogacy ring, posed as a cleaning company, was busted by Thailand’s cybercrime police after surrogate mothers were unable to deliver the children to buyers overseas due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, investigators say. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raided 10 locations suspected of being involved in the underground transnational surrogacy network, arresting…

  • British man arrested on Koh Samui for alleged meth-fuelled shooting spree on speedboat

    British man arrested on Koh Samui for alleged meth-fuelled shooting spree on speedboat

    A 33 year old British man has been arrested on the holiday island of Samui for allegedly firing gunshots from a speedboat while high on drugs. According to a report in the UK’s Daily Mail, Benjamin Robert Simpson, a cryptocurrency trader, allegedly fired a handgun several times, in the direction of the Four Seasons Hotel, where he was a guest.…

  • LA artist behind portrait of murdered Thai man condemns surge in racist violence

    LA artist behind portrait of murdered Thai man condemns surge in racist violence

    The US artist behind a portrait of an elderly Thai man who died after a brutal attack outside his San Francisco home, has voiced his disgust and sadness at the rise in anti-Asian sentiment in the US. Los Angeles artist Jonathan D. Chang drew the portrait of 84 year old Vicha Ratanapakdee and posted it on Instagram as a tribute…

  • Police seize 500,000 baht worth of illegal whitening cream in multiple raids

    Police seize 500,000 baht worth of illegal whitening cream in multiple raids

    More than 500,000 baht worth of unregistered skin whitening cream containing banned substances, an initial examination found, were seized in factory raids in Chachoengsao, Sa Kaeo, Chon Buri and Ayutthaya. The “Cambodian cream with red cover” was advertised on social media with claims that it could whiten skin within 7 days no matter how dark the skin is. Apparently, the…

  • Gambling advocate and net idol arrested for allegedly running online gambling operation

    Gambling advocate and net idol arrested for allegedly running online gambling operation

    An internet idol once called the “Gambler King” by the Bangkok Post was arrested for allegedly running an online gambling operation. The 29 year old self-professed gambler, Apirak “Sia Po” Chat-anon, is known for advocating for the legalisation of gambling. The Thai government even asked him to be an advisor on a committee reviewing Thailand’s laws on gambling. Police from…

  • 52 people in Bangkok arrested for alleged involvement in illegal loan operation

    52 people in Bangkok arrested for alleged involvement in illegal loan operation

    Thai immigration police arrested 52 people who were allegedly involved in an illegal loan shark operation using a smartphone application called “Speedwallet” to provide loans with interest rates higher than the legal limit. Police had received complaints from several of the application’s customers. Speedwallet provided loans of 5,000 baht to 20,000 baht and collected interest rates of 12% to 15%…

  • Police bust house party in Thong Lor, arrest 10 people on drug charges

    Police bust house party in Thong Lor, arrest 10 people on drug charges

    Police broke up what the Nation Thailand calls a “drug fueled rave” at a home in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area, arresting 10 people for allegedly possessing and consuming ketamine. The suspects, ages 21 to 51, also face charges for allegedly violating the Emergency Decree by holding a gathering that risks the spread of Covid-19. Thong Lor Police raided the home…

  • Pattaya banker detained on theft charges, allegedly defrauded local expats in investment scam

    Pattaya banker detained on theft charges, allegedly defrauded local expats in investment scam

    Pattaya police detained a former assistant manager of a local bank branch after he allegedly scammed numerous foreigners, tricking some of them into investments that led to significant losses and using invalid documents to fake transactions. A group of foreigners filed a complaint with the Pattaya City Police against the bank branch’s former assistant manager Chaisit Sappermphool on fraud charges.…

  • Elderly Thai man killed in violent attack in California

    Elderly Thai man killed in violent attack in California

    An 84 year old Thai man has died after being brutally attacked outside his home in San Francisco, in the US state of California. CCTV footage shows Vicha Ratanapakdee being approached by a man who pushes him violently to the ground before running away. The attack took place on the footpath outside Vicha’s home early on Thursday morning, with the…

  • Police arrest 3 suspects allegedly involved in major drug smuggling operation

    Police arrest 3 suspects allegedly involved in major drug smuggling operation

    Police arrested 3 people on drug charges and seized more than 2 million methamphetamine pills in busts in Saraburi and Phetchabun. The suspects were allegedly involved in a major illegal drug operation related to major cases in Bangkok and allegedly smuggled drugs from Laos to the border province Loei. Police say another suspect is on the run. The suspects allegedly…

  • Around 9,000 people to face charges for allegedly defrauding travel subsidy scheme

    Around 9,000 people to face charges for allegedly defrauding travel subsidy scheme

    Around 9,000 people will face criminal charges for allegedly defrauding the “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme which was launched to stimulate the economy and to help hotels and restaurants that were struggling after the lack of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk says the police plan to prosecute around 9,000 people for conspiring with…

  • Hotels and restaurants raided, 50 arrested for allegedly cheating “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme

    Hotels and restaurants raided, 50 arrested for allegedly cheating “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme

    Several hotels and restaurants in Phuket and Chaiyaphum were raided this morning and 50 people were arrested for allegedly stealing from the government subsidy scheme “We Travel Together.” The scheme was launched to help businesses that were financially hit by the lack of tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic and to stimulate the battered economy. Last month, the Tourism Authority of…

  • 16 Thai Navy officials investigated for alleged involvement in drug trafficking

    16 Thai Navy officials investigated for alleged involvement in drug trafficking

    The Royal Thai Navy is investigating 16 of its officials for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking operation earlier this month in the Isaan province Nong Khai which borders Laos. If the officials are found guilty, the Navy will immediately take both disciplinary and legal action, according to a spokesperson. Local officials reportedly seized 2 million amphetamine tablets and 116…

  • Police arrest man suspected of producing ketamine drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths

    Police arrest man suspected of producing ketamine drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths

    In the ongoing investigation into the ketamine-based drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths in Bangkok, police arrested a man who allegedly mixed large amounts of narcotics to make the drug cocktail known as “K powdered milk.” Police say the cocktail is ketamine mixed with methamphetamine, heroin and pharmaceutical pills for anxiety and sleeping. 38 year old Taiwan national Chou Yi…

  • Thai police arrest 3 people for allegedly tricking women into prostitution work overseas

    Thai police arrest 3 people for allegedly tricking women into prostitution work overseas

    Police arrested 3 people for allegedly recruiting Thai women to work overseas in the United Arab Emirates where they were forced into prostitution. The suspects allegedly told the women that they would work as masseuses, promising of good pay and assuring them that the work did not involve sex, according to the Department of Special Investigations deputy director general Supat…

  • Asia’s biggest drug kingpin arrested in Netherlands

    Asia’s biggest drug kingpin arrested in Netherlands

    Asia’s biggest drug kingpin is under arrest in the Netherlands after years of authorities chasing him worldwide. 57 year old Tse Chi Lop, a Chinese-born Canadian citizen, was arrested by Dutch police acting on a request by Australia’s federal police. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime named him as the suspected leader of the Asian mega-cartel known as “Sam…