Thailand Returns 67 Online Gambling Admins Deported by Laos
Thailand received 67 nationals deported by Laos on July 24 after they operated illegal online gambling sites from Vientiane; they face penalties under immigration and labor laws.
At 10:30 a.m. on July 24, 2025, at the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge border checkpoint in Nong Khai district, immigration police coordinated with local security and relevant agencies to receive 67 Thai nationals—both men and women—deported by Lao authorities. The individuals were processed through immigration screening and interviewed by multidisciplinary teams; preliminary investigation found no victims of human trafficking or persons subject to arrest warrants.
Investigation revealed that all 67 had worked as online gambling administrators in Cambodia until clashes erupted along the Thai-Cambodian border. They then traveled back to Thailand before being persuaded to move to Vientiane, Laos, where they rented dormitories in Ponphanao and Donhoun districts as bases for operating illegal 24-hour online gambling sites across three work shifts.
On July 21, 2025, Lao authorities conducted a major crackdown targeting illegal gambling networks and human trafficking, including scam operations. After completing legal procedures, they coordinated the deportation of all 67 individuals back to Thailand.
Deputy Immigration Commander Thiyachaphat Rangsiprahmankul stated that individuals deported following Laos's ongoing sweeps against scam and online gambling networks face penalties under immigration and labor laws, plus consular care fees incurred during detention abroad. Immigration authorities will place deportees on a watchlist to prevent illegal border crossing and further criminal activity, short of a full blacklist designation.
