Laos Returns 129 Thai Online Gambling Operators
Laos extradited 129 Thai nationals arrested for operating online gambling networks to Thai authorities at the Nong Khai border on September 17, with 15 having illegally re-entered after previous deportation.
On September 17, 2025, at 2 p.m., Thai immigration officials received 129 Thai nationals from Laotian authorities at the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Muang district, Nong Khai province. The group had been arrested during a crackdown on online gambling networks and scammers in Vientiane. They were brought back through the border checkpoint and screened jointly with multidisciplinary teams at the Nong Khai Volunteer Border Guard barracks. No trafficking victims, fraud victims, or wanted persons were identified among them. Nong Khai employment officials filed cases against all 129 for working abroad without notification.
Investigation revealed that 15 of the returnees had previously been deported from Laos on May 21, 2025, but illegally re-entered through natural border passages. All 15 worked for 11 online gambling websites, earning 15,000–21,000 baht monthly and staying in various Vientiane hotels. They were prosecuted in Laos for working without permits and operating gambling websites. Following completion of Laotian legal proceedings, they were transferred to Thai authorities for prosecution under Thai law.
