Police have raided a condominium complex in Bangkok’s Rama 9 area and arrested 94 Vietnamese nationals allegedly operating an online gambling network. Officers seized 68 computers and laptops, along with nearly 500 mobile phones. The suspects face serious charges including membership of a criminal society, criminal association and offences linked to running an illegal online gambling website.
Get today's headlines by email 
The operation took place on 4 March and was led by Pol Maj Gen Wasan Techakhakorn, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, alongside Pol Col Uramphon Khundetsamrit, superintendent of Makkasan Police Station. Officers from Makkasan Police Station, Immigration Police and Cyber Crime Police executed a search warrant at a rented office within the condominium compound on Phetchaburi Road, Bang Kapi subdistrict, Huai Khwang district, Bangkok. The raid followed complaints from residents who reported a large number of Vietnamese nationals working inside and feared the premises were being used as an illegal call centre.
The office occupied a single-storey building within the same compound as the condominium and was secured with locked doors and a 24-hour guard. Police had conducted surveillance for some time and observed that all staff were foreign nationals, working in shifts around the clock. Cleaners were reportedly restricted to the front area and denied access to inner rooms, prompting officers to obtain a search warrant.
Inside, police found 94 Vietnamese nationals, comprising 69 men and 25 women. Computer screens displayed Vietnamese-language online gambling websites, including casino-style games and football betting, with financial transactions shown in Vietnamese dong. Officers believe the operation targeted Vietnamese customers and involved substantial financial turnover.
Investigators said the office space had originally been leased by a private company that rented several units in the condominium before subletting them. The Vietnamese group is believed to have rented the office earlier this year and police are now examining the leasing arrangements.
One suspect told police through an interpreter that he had recently graduated in Ho Chi Minh City and had joined an online job search group. He said he was offered a customer service position with a salary of 30,000 baht per month and entered Thailand on a tourist visa with six friends. He claimed he did not know the job involved online gambling until he arrived and said he had been forced to work.
Daily News reported that other suspects stated the office operated three shifts. At the time of the raid, police detained staff from two shifts, while around 20 others had reportedly been collected earlier by vehicle. No one admitted to being the manager and further investigation is under way to identify those responsible for organising the operation.
Picture courtesy of Daily News
Join the discussion? 
Already a member? 
Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 5 Mar 2026