Chinese man held over alleged illegal clothing trade

A 59-year-old Chinese man has been detained in Chiang Rai after police said he admitted selling ready-made clothes wholesale and at markets around Thailand for more than 10 years without a work permit.

Wu Suhui was stopped at a Mae Lao Police Station checkpoint on 3 September 2026. Officers said he was driving a covered pickup truck carrying a large quantity of clothing.

Police checked Wu's passport and found he held a retirement visa permitting him to remain in Thailand until 26 March 2027. However, officers said he had no work permit.

Clothes allegedly sourced from Bobae and Mae Sai

Wu, who police said speaks Thai fluently, allegedly told officers that he obtained goods from Bangkok's Bobae Market and Mae Sai Market in Chiang Rai.

He is accused of operating a wholesale business and travelling to markets nationwide to sell clothing. Police said he claimed earnings of about 30,000 to 90,000 baht a month from the activity.

The arrest was carried out by Mae Lao police alongside Chinkorn Satitlerdpipat, a senior labour academic and head of the work inspection and jobseeker protection section at the Chiang Rai Provincial Employment Office.

Police seek further checks

Authorities said they were not fully satisfied with Wu's account, citing his travel through numerous provinces. They said they had concerns that his behaviour could be linked to foreign espionage, although no such charge has been announced.

Police have contacted security agencies and Immigration Bureau officials to conduct further checks, including into his accommodation and the purpose of his long-term stay in Thailand.

Wu has initially been charged under Section 8 of the 2017 Royal Ordinance on the Management of Foreign Workers Employment, as amended in 2018, for a foreigner working without a permit or beyond the work they are entitled to do. The stated penalty is a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht.

He was handed to investigators at Mae Lao Police Station for further legal action.

Pictures courtesy of Kaoded

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4 September 2026