PATTAYA, Thailand – A team of law enforcement officers raided a luxury villa in Nong Pla Lai, East Pattaya. This raid targeted a Chinese national online loan shark syndicate operating in Thailand after relocating from Dubai.
The operation, which was carried out based on a search warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court on February 6, led to the arrest of 12 Chinese suspects—11 men and 1 woman. The authorities seized a significant amount of evidence, including 10 computers, 61 mobile phones, passports, electronic cards, and cash.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the suspects had entered Thailand on tourist or student visas since August 2024, with two of them overstaying their visas. One of the suspects claimed that they were employees of the operation, having never met their employer in person, but knew that the employer had rented the villa for 150,000 baht per month since August 2024.
The loan shark operation involved lending money online through the WeChat app to clients in China, with customers borrowing amounts ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 yuan (approximately 10,000 to 15,000 baht) at an interest rate of 30%. The suspects were paid a monthly wage of 15,000 to 20,000 baht, excluding commissions.
Previously based in Dubai for over five years, the group moved their operations to Thailand due to the high cost of living in the UAE. Their operation was eventually discovered, leading to the arrest.
The authorities have charged the suspects with working in Thailand without permission, and further investigations will follow to uncover additional crimes related to the operation and to identify the mastermind behind this transnational loan sharking network.
