Santi Lhotong, President of the Thai Esports Association, confirmed that Tokyogurl and Cheerio have been banned for life. He stated that the court will deliver its verdict on 17 March, with the possibility of both imprisonment and fines.
On 15 February 2026, Tokyogurl, a female player on Thailand's national RoV team, was suspected of using a stand-in player during competitions to boost her reputation and attempting to commit fraud at the 2025 SEA Games.
Earlier, Cheerio, also known as Kong, a male RoV player linked as the stand-in, admitted his involvement. On 2 January 2026, he posted on his personal TikTok account confirming his role as the third party player, acknowledging the rumors. He expressed remorse and issued a formal apology to the public.
Meanwhile, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) under the Crime Suppression Division announced the "Ghost Buster Operation" targeting fraudsters in esports competitions at the 2025 SEA Games. They arrested both suspects on charges of "knowingly circumventing computer access controls set by others and improperly disclosing information causing potential harm, and unauthorized access to protected computer data not intended for them."
Thairath Sport reporters spoke with Santi Lhotong, President of the Thai Esports Association, regarding the initial sanctions and possible legal penalties.
Santi revealed that initially, the Esports Association has banned both individuals from all association-related competitions for life. Regarding the legal case, the court's verdict on 17 March may impose fines or imprisonment combined with fines, depending on the court's judgment. This considers several factors since both are adults, including their remorse, cooperation with police, and other circumstances.
Santi further explained that Tokyogurl denied all allegations at first but eventually confessed due to overwhelming evidence, while Cheerio has cooperated with police throughout. The apology posted on TikTok in January was indeed made by Cheerio himself.