Police Bust Four Officers in Chinese Tourist Extortion Case
Four Thai police officers and civilian interpreters were arrested after allegedly posing as officers to extort 220,000 baht from a Chinese tourist in Chiang Mai, fleeing when he alerted authorities from a shrimp farm.
On September 16, Chiang Mai Provincial Police issued a statement clarifying the case involving the arrest of a deputy superintendent and three others accused of abusing their position. According to the report, on August 29 a Chinese national named Yuan Hewen filed a complaint against four Thai men who blocked his vehicle with a dark blue sedan, claimed to be police officers, and demanded to check his passport, falsely stating he had an international arrest warrant.
When Yuan Hewen said his passport was at home, he showed a photo on his phone instead, but the men insisted on going to his residence to verify the document. Once there, they demanded 500,000 baht, which was negotiated down to 350,000 baht. Yuan Hewen had 220,000 baht in cash and US dollars on him, with the remainder to be borrowed from a friend at a shrimp farm in Sankamphang District.
During the journey, Yuan Hewen kept the cash with him. When he went alone into the shrimp farm to meet his friend—taking advantage of the many security cameras in the area—he explained the situation and called police. The four men sensed trouble and fled with the 220,000 baht.
Investigation revealed the perpetrators included a Police Major and a Police Captain from Region 5 Provincial Police, along with two civilian interpreters. On September 2, investigators requested arrest warrants from the Region 5 Corruption and Misconduct Court. The court approved warrants for all four suspects on charges of abusing official position, coercion for extortion, and official misconduct, with the two civilians charged as accessories.
Since the case involves official misconduct, it was forwarded to the Chiang Mai Office of the Ombudsman. On September 9, the Ombudsman's board returned the case to investigators, deeming it not serious enough for their jurisdiction. On September 11, all four suspects surrendered with legal counsel and denied all charges. The case remains under investigation by Sankamphang Police Station. Chiang Mai Provincial Police affirmed they would ensure justice for both the victim and the accused.
