PATTAYA, Thailand – A team of over 50 Pattaya police officers raided an illegal online gambling operation hidden within a house in Soi Sukhumvit 91/2 in East Pattaya on June 11. Surrounding the two-story, standalone house, officers secured the perimeter before initiating the operation, under the authority of a search warrant from the Chonburi Provincial Court.
In the house, police found a network of Indian nationals engaged in various forms of online gambling, including baccarat, poker, slots, and sports betting. 10 individuals were found working at computers and fielding calls related to the illegal gambling activities on the ground floor. Simultaneously, additional Indian nationals were discovered sleeping on the second floor. In total, 21 men were detained, some possessing student or tourist visas, while others lacked proper documentation.
Police seized crucial evidence, including four desktop computers, eight laptops, over 50 mobile phones, and numerous Thai SIM cards. The house featured clocks displaying times for India, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), and Thailand, alongside Indian language notes outlining work schedules and bank account details. Amazingly, the operation’s daily financial turnover exceeded 200 million Indian rupees, equivalent to approximately 100 million baht.
One of the detainees revealed that the group had rented the house since August 2023 for 30,000 baht per month, serving as administrators for an online gambling network based in the Philippines. The network operated seven websites catering primarily to Indian and Dubai clients, with administrators working in eight-hour shifts.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Chatchai Surachetphong, Deputy Commissioner of Region 2 Police, disclosed that the investigation stemmed from long-term surveillance by Chonburi Transnational Crime Suppression Police. The raid, authorized by the Pattaya Provincial Court, unveiled the Indian group’s role as administrators for overseas-based gambling sites. The person responsible for recruiting the administrators remains at large.
The detainees included individuals legally in Thailand, some who had overstayed their visas, and others who had entered the country illegally. Further details regarding the case will be disclosed by Pol. Lt. Gen. Somprasong Yentuam, Commissioner of Region 2 Police, at an upcoming press conference, shedding light on the intricate web of transnational gambling operations.
