Illegal Loan Gang Arrested with Predatory 304% Annual Interest Rates, Flooding City with Flyers

Police arrested 19-year-old Pakhin on May 23, 2025, based on a warrant charging him with operating an unlicensed personal lending business and charging interest rates exceeding legal limits. Officers seized promotional materials bearing the 'Quick Cash' name, a Honda motorcycle, 300 baht in cash, and a debtor list from his residence in Chiang Mai's Samphae district.

Police received complaints that the 'Quick Cash' network, controlled from Chanthaburi and Rayong provinces, was lending to residents at exploitative rates of 20% per 24 days—equivalent to 304% annually. The gang distributed thousands of flyers and business cards throughout homes, shops, markets, and tourist attractions, creating public disturbance and environmental damage. The network had been arrested three times in one year but continued operating without fear of consequences.

Under interrogation, Pakhin confessed to distributing promotional flyers for about one year under a supervisor nicknamed 'Flame.' He acknowledged the illegal interest rates, explaining that a 10,000-baht loan required daily 500-baht payments over 24 days, totaling 12,000 baht repayment.

Investigation revealed the 'Quick Cash' network operates across multiple regions in northern, central, and northeastern Thailand, using identical business card designs while varying colors and phone numbers by province. Pakhin disclosed he had recently been sentenced to two years imprisonment and fined 150,000 baht by Chiang Mai Provincial Court earlier this year but continued the scheme despite suspended sentencing. He was transferred to Samphae Police Station for further legal proceedings.