Immigration officials in Nong Khai province took custody of 42 Thai nationals involved in an online gambling network repatriated after a crackdown by Lao PDR authorities in Vientiane. The individuals are being held for questioning before being prosecuted.
On 18 Aug 2026 at the Friendship 1 International Checkpoint in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Pol. Col. Nopadol Rakchat, Superintendent of Nong Khai Immigration Police, assigned Pol. Lt. Col. Thiyajapat Rangsipramonkul, Deputy Superintendent, Pol. Lt. Col. Apichat Klatha, Police Inspector, and other officials to receive the 42 Thai nationals repatriated by Lao authorities following the crackdown on the online gambling network.
They were then escorted to the Nong Khai Immigration Police Division for detailed case and Case ID verification. The immigration officers, together with multidisciplinary and relevant agencies, conducted interviews and screenings under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to fairly and properly protect and identify individuals reasonably suspected of being victims of human trafficking or forced labor according to international standards.
All names and travel histories were checked; no arrest warrants or Case IDs were found. All had traveled through legal channels. Interviews and travel history checks revealed all 42 had worked for online gambling sites including Galaxy, Hotspin, CoinX, KTV, and Eufa888MGWIN. The Nong Khai Provincial Employment Office has filed charges against all 42 for working abroad without notifying the Department of Employment.