Laos Returns 130 Thai Online Gambling Operators to Thailand
Laos handed over 130 Thai online gambling operators to Thai authorities on August 13 after a crackdown in Vientiane. The suspects, who earned 14,000-18,000 baht monthly working for gambling websites, will now face prosecution in Thailand.
At 4:20 p.m. on August 13, Nakhon Phanom Provincial Police Commander Napdol Rak Chat, along with officers from Nong Khai and Thai embassy staff in Vientiane, received custody of 130 Thai men and women from Lao authorities. They had been detained following a major sweep against an online gambling and scam network in Vientiane.
The suspects were transported back to Thailand through the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge checkpoint at Muang Nong Khai district. Multi-disciplinary screening at the Nong Khai Provincial Volunteer Defense Force found no victims of human trafficking, fraud, or wanted persons among them.
Investigations revealed all 130 had traveled to work for six online gambling websites, earning an average of 14,000 to 18,000 baht per month. They rented rooms adjacent to casinos in Vientiane. Some had been working there for less than a month.
On August 18, Lao authorities conducted a heavy crackdown and detained all 130 on charges of working without permission and engaging in online gambling operations in Laos. After Laotian legal proceedings concluded, the suspects were handed over to Thai authorities for prosecution under Thai law.
