Police Arrest Two in Loan App Linked to Three Deaths
Two suspects were arrested for operating an illegal loan‑app scheme that used a fake Facebook page to lure victims, leading to the deaths of a single mother and her two children in Pathum Thani. Police said the victims lost 1,980 baht and were pressured into making payments and recording voice clips before the debt‑related stress drove them to suicide. Authorities warned the public to check loan apps through the Bank of Thailand and report suspicious activity via the AOC hotline or online police portal.
Police announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with an illegal loan‑app operation that led to the deaths of three people. The suspects are 20‑year‑old Sasarat and 29‑year‑old Supattra. Sasarat was arrested on a warrant from Pathum Thani Provincial Court (No. 330/69, issued Oct 7, 2026) charged with conspiring to defraud the public (using a "mule" account) and possession of one mobile phone. Supattra was arrested on warrant No. 331/69 (Oct 7, 2026) charged with arranging, advertising or disseminating false information.
Police Major General Sirawat Deephor, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said that after the incident Police General Somran Nualma ordered the Provincial Police Region 1 and the Technology Crime Suppression Division to mobilise investigative units to apprehend the perpetrators decisively, as the case involves illegal lending and technology‑related crime. The tragedy occurred in a room at the Eu‑A‑Or housing complex in Bang Dud Wat, Pathum Thani, where three victims died from smoke inhalation after borrowing money from the illicit app.
Under the direction of Pol. Maj. Gen. Kittithes Thanannattaweesin, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Peeraphol Chotikasthien, Commander of Pathum Thani Provincial Police, investigators traced the fraud to a fake Facebook page that lured victims into applying for online loans. The page forced applicants to submit personal data, make an upfront payment described as the first instalment, and record a voice clip reading a set text; mistakes incurred additional fines. The victims lost a total of 1,980 baht and had previously filed an online complaint via the Royal Thai Police’s e‑reporting system before the stress of debt and personal problems drove them to commit the fatal act.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Kittithes Thanannattaweesin urged the public to be wary of criminals hiding behind loan apps or online lending pages that use deceptive advertising to steal personal information, intimidate, or collect advance fees. He advised anyone seeking a loan to verify its legitimacy through the Bank of Thailand’s website (www.bot.or.th) using the "check loan app" feature, and to report any leads or seek assistance via the AOC hotline 1441 or the online police portal www.thaipoliceonline.go.th, available 24 hours a day.
