PATTAYA, Thailand – A 38-year-old man running an illegal lending network in Pattaya and Banglamung District, was arrested by the authorities on December 15. The man, identified as “Tum” was caught red-handed while collecting exorbitant interest rates from small business owners and traders in the Sa Bua Market area of Nong Ket Yai Subdistrict, in east Pattaya.
The authorities seized a Toyota Vigo pickup truck, a mobile phone, two customer lists, and three sheets of customer schedules from the suspect. They also identified more than 30 customers, who were paying around 15,000 baht per day in principal and interest to the loan shark.
The arrest was the result of a joint operation by law enforcement and administrative authorities, who had been monitoring the suspect’s activities for some time. They observed that “Tum” would drive his pickup truck to various evening markets in Pattaya and Banglamung to collect high-interest loans from his victims, who were under severe financial pressure.
The suspect was charged with conducting unauthorized lending business and charging interest rates exceeding legal limits. He was taken into custody by the Banglamung Police, who will conduct further investigations into the case. The authorities vowed to continue their efforts to crack down on illegal loan sharks and protect the public from their exploitation.
