Police raided a Vietnamese online gambling ring renting space in a luxury Rama 9 condominium, arresting nearly 100 employees and seizing nearly 500 computers and mobile phones. However, no one has admitted to being the ringleader.
At 3:00 p.m. on 4 Mar 2024 GMT+7, Pol. Maj. Gen. Wasan Techaakkrasakem, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, together with officers from Makkasan Police Station, Immigration Police, and Cyber Police, executed a search warrant on an office located within a luxury condominium in Rama 9 area, Bang Kapi subdistrict, Huai Khwang district, Bangkok. This followed complaints from residents about a large number of Vietnamese working there, raising suspicions of an illegal call center gang.
The office is on the first floor of the condominium, with a securely locked door and round-the-clock guards. Authorities had been surveilling the location for some time and observed that all employees were foreigners, never Thai. Each work shift had at least 20 people working 24 hours a day. Even the cleaning staff were only allowed to access the front lobby and were prohibited from entering individual office rooms. These observations led to the warrant being obtained for a search today.
Initially, 94 Vietnamese employees were found: 69 men and 25 women. Authorities seized 68 computers and laptops, along with nearly 500 mobile phones, both in use and unopened. Screens on active computers showed Vietnamese online gambling websites offering games and football betting, with transaction amounts displayed in Vietnamese dong. It is believed to be a Vietnamese gambling website operating its base in Thailand, targeting Vietnamese customers with significant financial turnover.
This office was originally leased by a major private company that rented several common areas of the condominium, then subleased the space. The Vietnamese group likely began leasing the space early this year. Police are coordinating to obtain more information from the company.
One Vietnamese suspect, speaking through an interpreter, said he had previously lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and recently graduated in music. He joined an online job search group and was invited to work in customer service with a salary of 30,000 baht. He entered Thailand on a tourist visa with six Vietnamese friends. The suspect claimed he was unaware the operation involved online gambling until arriving and said he was forced to work. Their residence was reportedly near Ratchadaphisek Road.
Other suspects revealed the office operated in three shifts. Police arrested employees from two shifts; about 20 Vietnamese employees had been taken away earlier by a vehicle. No one confessed to being the leader. Police initially charged them with criminal conspiracy, running a gambling den, and offenses related to illegally operating an online gambling website.
Residents of the condominium declined interviews but shared that around mid-last year, a large group of foreigners—several dozen people—worked at this office. Residents filed complaints, which resulted in that group staying only about one to two months before moving out. After a few months of vacancy, this Vietnamese group moved into the office shortly before the New Year.