Chinese Scam Kingpin Arrested in Pattaya for Money Laundering
A 30-year-old Chinese national was arrested in Pattaya for directing a money-laundering network that processed 8.8 million baht for international scam gangs using rotating bank accounts and ATM cards.
CHONBURI — Police arrested a 30-year-old Chinese man identified as Zhang at a Pattaya condominium on August 14, 2026, on suspicion of directing a money-laundering operation for scam gangs that processed more than 8.8 million baht. Zhang was wanted by Chinese authorities on fraud and money-laundering charges and was also charged in Thailand with visa overstaying.
Investigators said Zhang was a senior figure who recruited and managed a network using ATM cards and bank accounts to withdraw and transfer funds from scams while obscuring their origin. He reportedly travelled to Thailand in 2023 and 2024 to coordinate with accomplices and operate the network from the country. Members rotated personal bank accounts to receive fraud proceeds before making large cash withdrawals.
The network handled approximately 1.8 million yuan, equivalent to 8.8 million baht. According to police, Zhang fled China through Japan after learning of an impending arrest warrant, then entered Thailand illegally and remained hidden since March 2025. Crime Suppression Division officers, working with Chon Buri immigration police, located and arrested him at the condominium. Zhang confessed to using Thailand as a base for money laundering and admitted to hiding from Chinese authorities. He was handed over to immigration police for deportation and prosecution in China.
