Laos Returns Seven Thai Online Gambling Admins to Thailand
Laos returned seven Thai nationals who administered an online gambling ring after arresting them in Vientiane. The suspects had moved their operation from Cambodia to Laos and were handed over to Thai immigration officials via the Thai‑Lao Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai. Thai authorities screened them and found no human‑trafficking or fraud victims before charging them with working abroad without notification.
Nong Khai – In the 14th round, Laos handed back seven Thai administrators of an online gambling network who had been arrested in Vientiane. They admitted to having operated from Cambodia before moving their base to Laos. The suspects were taken into Thai custody on October 2, 2026, after Lieutenant Colonel Thiyaphap Rangsipromakul, deputy chief of Nong Khai Immigration, and officials from the Thai Embassy in Vientiane received the seven Thais from Lao authorities following the Lao crackdown on the online gambling scam network in Vientiane on September 2. They were escorted back to Thailand through the first Thai‑Lao Friendship Bridge in Mueang Nong Khai district and then taken to the Nong Khai Immigration Office’s Friendship Meeting Room for joint multi‑agency screening.
Officials found no signs of human‑trafficking victims, no fraud victims, and no individuals with outstanding warrants. The Nong Khai Provincial Employment Office proceeded with charges for working abroad without prior notification. This marks the 14th such repatriation.
Investigations revealed that all seven had previously worked on online gambling websites in Cambodia. After clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, the network relocated its base to Vientiane, Laos, in August. They rented a house in Vientiane, launched the online gambling site under the same name used in Cambodia, and continued operating until Lao authorities arrested them for working without permission and for engaging in online gambling activities in Laos. After the Lao legal process concluded, Thai authorities coordinated their return for prosecution under Thai law.
