A Chinese man was arrested in Bangkok after allegedly paying 100,000 baht to enter Thailand illegally by crossing a river from Laos. Immigration officers detained him at a restaurant in the RCA entertainment district following a tip-off about foreigners suspected of entering the country without permission.
The suspect, identified as 37 year old Chang Ping, was arrested on Saturday, October 17, by investigators from the Immigration Bureau’s Investigation Division.
According to Thai Tabloid, officers visited the restaurant in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district after receiving information that undocumented foreign nationals had been gathering in the area.
Chang was unable to produce a passport or alternative travel documents when approached by immigration officers.
A subsequent check of the Immigration Bureau’s database found no record of him entering Thailand through an official immigration checkpoint.
During questioning through an interpreter, Chang reportedly admitted that he had crossed the Thai-Lao border illegally by boat.
He told officers that he had used Telegram to contact people who arranged transport and assisted with his journey, paying approximately 100,000 baht for the arrangement.
Further checks reportedly revealed information from Chinese security agencies linking Chang to suspected telecommunications and online fraud. Chinese officials were said to be seeking him for legal proceedings, although Thai investigators are still verifying the details.
Police have not confirmed whether an arrest warrant has been issued in China or provided information about the alleged fraud case.
Following the arrest, Chang was handed over to Immigration Bureau investigators for proceedings relating to his alleged illegal entry.
Immigration Bureau Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Nopphasin Poonsawat also ordered investigators to trace those responsible for arranging Chang’s journey, including the boat operators, drivers and intermediaries who received payment.
Officers are examining whether a wider smuggling network is helping foreign nationals wanted overseas enter Thailand and evade immigration checks. The investigation remains ongoing.
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