Thai police in Chiang Mai, acting on a court-issued search warrant, raided a luxury residence in the San Sai district, dismantling an illegal online gambling platform "GO1818" targeting Chinese gamblers. The platform, hidden within a villa, had a monthly transaction volume of up to 10 million Thai Baht and offered betting on football, baccarat, dragon tiger, and slot machines, attracting over 4000 Chinese members to register and participate.
At the scene, police arrested three Chinese men aged between 29 and 30, all from Zhejiang, with proficient internet technology skills. Initially entering Thailand on tourist visas, they later successfully applied for student visas through affiliations with universities in Chiang Mai, and from September 2024, they rented the villa to set up the platform's operational base. They each had a monthly salary of about 50,000 Thai Baht, responsible for website backend maintenance, server management, and customer support.
The investigation revealed that the gang's mastermind traveled between China and Thailand every six months, likely to withdraw cash earnings to evade regulation, with a highly covert operation process and clear division of labor. The police noted that although the three technicians were nominally registered at two local universities, they never actually attended classes, a typical case of "visa laundering." The authorities urged educational institutions to strengthen the scrutiny of foreign students' identities.
The raid was conducted by the Fifth District Police Station in collaboration with the Tourist Police, seizing computers, communication equipment, and related network tools. The police stated that the case reveals a shift by Chinese gambling syndicates in Thailand towards a "technology + visa" model, using student status as a cover to discreetly set up gambling networks in residential areas, severely impacting public order.
The Thai police have charged the three individuals with "illegal gambling operations," "visa fraud," and "money laundering," and have transferred their visa information to the immigration bureau, planning to initiate visa revocation and deportation procedures. The police call on all sectors of society to actively report similar activities to maintain national security and social stability.
