Cybercrime police have dismantled a Vietnamese scam gang impersonating electricity officials who tricked victims into transferring money before laundering it through gold trading, causing Thai victims to lose 12 million baht.

On July 31, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., senior police officials held a press conference announcing that cybercrime police had broken up the Vietnamese money-laundering gang operating through gold transactions and seized gold bars. According to Police Lieutenant General Surpol Preambut, commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Division, the investigation began after a 61-year-old male victim received a phone call on July 9 from a scammer posing as an electricity official, claiming a transformer had problems and requesting insurance payment. The scammer provided a LINE account, conducted video calls, and sent a QR code. The criminals then instructed the victim to open a banking app, change it to English, and follow instructions. When OTP codes arrived, the scammers requested the numbers under the guise of queue numbers, ultimately resulting in three transfers totaling 1,799,400 baht.

Investigation of the money trail revealed that victim transfers went to corporate and personal accounts under the name Ms. Narissara, who withdrew cash at banks in the Rangsit area before passing it to network members. The corporate account transferred funds to purchase gold bars from shops in the Sampran area of Nakhon Pathom totaling 22 transactions worth 5 million baht, with Thai network members receiving the gold and passing it to Vietnamese coordinators who resold it at another gold shop in Nonthaburi for approximately 4 million baht in cash.

Over the past year, this Vietnamese gang has defrauded 18 Thai victims with combined losses exceeding 12 million baht. Courts issued arrest warrants for seven people: three Vietnamese and four Thai. Police arrested five suspects: two Vietnamese nationals—Mr. Nguyen Dinh Sang, 29, and Ms. Thi Thuydung Trinh, 25—who were caught preparing to sell gold. Officers seized 14 gold bars weighing 27.50 grams worth over 1.7 million baht, 66,500 baht in cash, three mobile phones, and two vehicles.

Three Thai suspects were also arrested: Ms. Narissara, 32, who withdrew and distributed cash; Mr. Phaitool (warrant suspect) arrested on Keha Ruamkled 37 Road, Bangkok; Mr. Sitthichat, 29; and Ms. Vasupass, 34, who received gold sales proceeds and distributed cash to network members. They were apprehended at a hotel on Sukhumvit Road in Nakhon Rayong province.

According to Deputy Police Lieutenant Colonel Kantpong, the two Vietnamese suspects claimed they were sent to Thailand to oversee Thai workers' gold purchases, but they also supervised or conducted gold sales themselves to prevent Thai members from absconding. Immigration records show they have entered Thailand multiple times over several years, most recently in late 2024.

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Sai Thar, a veteran rescue volunteer, has criticized fraudsters posing as charity workers, warning donors to be cautious or risk "handing a knife to a thief." He emphasized that those without proper ethical standards should not enter the rescue field. Against the backdrop of recent scandals in the rescue community, public scrutiny has grown over the transparency of donated funds. Sai Thar noted that such problems have existed for decades, but social media now makes every action visible. He called on relevant authorities to address these issues seriously and prevent lasting damage to organizational and national reputation.

Sai Thar shared an example of someone falsely claiming to represent his foundation to solicit donations, stressing that genuine volunteers should not damage their organization's credibility. He urged the public to verify information before donating, cautioning that knowingly supporting someone with a questionable track record is equivalent to enabling fraud. He emphasized that the heart of volunteerism is integrity, not greed, and warned that people sometimes perceived as entirely good may not be what they appear.

When asked about drama in the rescue sector, Sai Thar acknowledged the issue has existed for years but notes the difference is social media exposure. He stated: "Everyone should know that even if no one sees what you do, you yourself know the truth in your heart. How can you claim to be good after acting that way?" He recounted encountering someone claiming to represent his foundation soliciting donations for coffins, which his organization already provides for free. He stressed that while people may have different perspectives on giving, knowingly supporting someone with a bad track record is risky.

The Bank of Thailand reported on July 31 that Thailand's June economy held steady month-on-month, with private consumption improving thanks to government stimulus and rising electric vehicle sales. Merchandise exports and private investment continued to expand, driven by technology products, a global electronics industry upturn, and data center investments. However, industrial manufacturing declined across multiple sectors, particularly petroleum refining due to scheduled maintenance shutdowns and non-EV vehicle production, while the services sector slowed as foreign tourist arrivals and tourism revenue fell, hitting hotels and restaurants hard. Overall second-quarter economic growth decelerated from the first quarter due to higher energy prices and travel restrictions from Middle East conflict, weakening tourism and private consumption despite government support measures. Technology exports and data center investments helped offset the services slowdown. General inflation fell in June with crude oil prices, though core inflation rose as businesses passed along costs. The current account deficit narrowed while labor markets remained stable. Key factors to watch include war developments and US trade policy, tourism recovery, living costs and business expenses, government measures, and potential El Niño effects. The Bank of Thailand also noted that in the latest US Treasury report released July 24, Thailand remains on the US monitoring list, meeting only one of three criteria—a trade surplus with the United States of approximately $72 billion—after its current account surplus fell from 3.8 percent to 2.8 percent of GDP. The US Treasury acknowledged that the central bank's repatriation relaxation and gold transaction oversight measures aim to stabilize the baht rather than gain trade advantage. Thailand has a chance to be removed from the monitoring list in the next assessment round if it meets only one criterion, with the central bank tracking progress toward that goal.

A 19-year-old stepfather has confessed to accidentally striking a 3-year-old stepchild with his knee while drunk and falling, resulting in the child's death. The biological mother, age 24, initially claimed the boy had a high fever and had lost consciousness before being rushed to hospital, but doctors discovered bruises across his body. Police arrested both the mother and stepfather, Nai Lokhine, and are pursuing drug possession charges after both tested positive for drug use based on purple-colored urine samples.

Nai Lokhine, 19, has been remanded in custody at Mukdahan Provincial Court. He confessed that on the night of July 28, while the boy's mother was out topping up her mobile phone credit at a neighborhood stand, he was alone with the child while intoxicated. He claimed he stumbled and fell, his knee striking the child's abdomen forcefully, causing the boy to become unresponsive. The next morning, the child showed signs of distress with diarrhea and remained unresponsive, prompting the mother to call for an ambulance to Mukdahan Hospital.

Police Colonel Phrairojn Thaiphuttra, commander of Mukdahan Provincial Police, revealed that investigators have interviewed four witnesses and plan to call 2-3 additional witnesses for further statements. Preliminary autopsy findings show bruises on the child's body, but doctors cannot yet definitively determine the exact cause or what inflicted them. No signs of struggle or physical violence were found inside the residence. Both adults have been charged with drug possession, while the cause of death and all bruising patterns will be examined through detailed autopsy to properly pursue criminal charges.

Nai Lokhine's mother stated that she lives in a separate house and works in fields, so she did not witness any abuse. She said she was ill and sleeping in another house on the day of the incident, which prevented her from hearing any unusual sounds. She noted that Nai Lokhine has suffered from mental illness since age 10 and requires medication. The boy's mother moved in with them only recently.

Neighbors, however, reported frequently hearing the child crying continuously over several days, and each time the child cried, loud music would play simultaneously, suggesting an intentional effort to mask the child's cries.

At 12:49 a.m. on July 31, 2025, a man impersonating a police officer on a motorcycle broke through the Baan Khao Lam joint security checkpoint in Chachang Subdistrict, Soi Dao District, Chanthaburi, heading toward Sa Kaew Province. Officers pursued the suspect for more than 10 kilometers, but he used his familiarity with the local area to escape into a side soi. Investigation confirmed the suspect was a wanted person.

Deputy Superintendent Yingyong Buppahom, commanding officer of the Baan Khao Lam checkpoint (a joint operation between police, Royal Thai Marines, and Border Patrol Police Company 114), reported that while conducting routine checkpoint operations, two men on a motorcycle approached matching an earlier alert. The driver was dressed as a police officer wearing an overlay shirt and an official police hat to deceive officers. When signaled to stop for inspection, the officers quickly recognized the suspects as Thanat ("Ai Bpong") and Thamchai ("Nai Thong"), both wanted by Pattaya Provincial Court in connection with the mysterious disappearance of two Russian siblings and a motorcycle dismantling case in Chon Buri Province.

Realizing he had been identified, the suspect accelerated and sped through the checkpoint toward Sa Kaew Province. Officers gave chase for over 10 kilometers, but the suspect turned into connecting sois and disappeared from view. Near the checkpoint, officers recovered an official police hat that the suspect had dropped approximately 100 meters from the checkpoint and logged it as evidence.

Police Regional Commander Phudungsak Raksuk convened an urgent meeting with commanding officers and investigation teams from all police stations in the area to coordinate an intensified manhunt. Police believe the suspects may be using secondary roads, village routes, natural passages, and local plantations to avoid checkpoints, and suspect they may attempt to flee across the border into Cambodia through natural channels. Police warned the public that several social media videos circulating about the incident contain false information, including old clips and unverified details.