Picture courtesy of Khaosod

 

A Russian couple and a Myanmar woman have been arrested on Koh Phangan for operating unlicensed bungalows. Police swooped in after receiving complaints from locals about foreign nationals allegedly running a rental business without permits. The operation, described as "Moon Way Bungalow," was allegedly managed from their residence via WhatsApp.

 

The bust took place on December 1, with authorities discovering Oleg, 51, and Ekaterina, 38, at their Sri Thanu village home. No legal accommodation license was displayed at their property. Despite renting out seven rooms for 500 baht (around £12) per night, the couple mistakenly believed their company registration was enough to operate legally.

 

A 21-year-old Myanmar woman named La was also arrested. Employed as a receptionist and housekeeper, she was paid 15,000 baht (approximately £350) monthly. La faces charges for working without proper authorisation.

 

Oleg and Ekaterina have been charged with running an unlicensed business, working without permission, and illegally engaging a foreign worker. Koh Phangan police chief, Pol. Col. Apichat Chansamret, is digging deeper into the company’s transactions, suspecting a nominee structure intended to hide financial dealings.

 

The couple and La have been handed over to local police for further proceedings. Police are intensifying efforts to clamp down on unlicensed operations on the island, reported Khaosod.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Russian couple arrested for illegal bungalow operation on Koh Phangan.
• Myanmar woman employed without authorisation completes the arrest trio.
• Authorities suspect financial irregularities behind the business model.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2025-12-02

 

 

 

The two copps look like they are in a dual 

I hope someone helps La out; I hope she doesn't get lost in a neverending stay in a detention centre. Ideally this would be the people who employed her, but I have a feeling they might not care about what they've got her into by not organising the correct visa for her.

18 hours ago, JoePai said:

The two copps look like they are in a dual 

HIGH NOON?

As soon as I read they had illegaly hired a 21 year-old receptionist / housekeeper from Myanmar, there was little doubt that  the 2 Russians knew exactly what they were doing was illegal. They thought they had found a legal loophole and illegally hiring a young  naive despearate  foreigner would result in less chance of being snitched on.

All of these Myanmar people with low level jobs which Thais don’t want should be allowed to work- arresting them just like their employers is not a good solution . Send the Russians home.

18 hours ago, JoePai said:

The two copps look like they are in a dual 

I would back the one with a multimeter strapped to his spine. 

I’ve seen fb and other social media ads with Russians speaking Russian advertising property sales or rentals in Thailand.  

16 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

I’ve seen fb and other social media ads with Russians speaking Russian advertising property sales or rentals in Thailand.  

 

Almost every marketplace ad for a rental on the islands has a profile with a Rus/Ukr name. The subletting down here has driven the rental prices to an insane level.

2 minutes ago, ryandb said:

 

Almost every marketplace ad for a rental on the islands has a profile with a Rus/Ukr name. The subletting down here has driven the rental prices to an insane level.

Yeah I wonder why the authorities don’t go after them. Similarly every adult site “my friend” visits gets bombarded with Thai Casino ads. Why don’t they do anything about them? I guess the answer might be those who get caught are non-compliant with local police 😉😉

Lovin the denim shorts on the Russian broad.

These Russians lost their bet gambling that this business would work. Now they might risk losing their properties in Thailand. And again, the nominee partner may even have snitched on them, scoring some free property.

Finally, throw the Ruskies out!

21 hours ago, JoePai said:

The two copps look like they are in a dual 

Maybe not agree who's gana be a part of a 3sum.

I wouldn't feel safe now if i was a bar owner but not employed there.Just as a socalled bar manager.

22 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of Khaosod

 

A Russian couple and a Myanmar woman have been arrested on Koh Phangan for operating unlicensed bungalows. Police swooped in after receiving complaints from locals about foreign nationals allegedly running a rental business without permits. The operation, described as "Moon Way Bungalow," was allegedly managed from their residence via WhatsApp.

 

The bust took place on December 1, with authorities discovering Oleg, 51, and Ekaterina, 38, at their Sri Thanu village home. No legal accommodation license was displayed at their property. Despite renting out seven rooms for 500 baht (around £12) per night, the couple mistakenly believed their company registration was enough to operate legally.

 

A 21-year-old Myanmar woman named La was also arrested. Employed as a receptionist and housekeeper, she was paid 15,000 baht (approximately £350) monthly. La faces charges for working without proper authorisation.

 

Oleg and Ekaterina have been charged with running an unlicensed business, working without permission, and illegally engaging a foreign worker. Koh Phangan police chief, Pol. Col. Apichat Chansamret, is digging deeper into the company’s transactions, suspecting a nominee structure intended to hide financial dealings.

 

The couple and La have been handed over to local police for further proceedings. Police are intensifying efforts to clamp down on unlicensed operations on the island, reported Khaosod.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Russian couple arrested for illegal bungalow operation on Koh Phangan.
• Myanmar woman employed without authorisation completes the arrest trio.
• Authorities suspect financial irregularities behind the business model.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2025-12-02

 

 

 

Nice legs .......

22 hours ago, JoePai said:

The two copps look like they are in a dual 

Who gets first dibs ?

Shocking....Putin's peeps in trouble again.

8 hours ago, Searat7 said:

All of these Myanmar people with low level jobs which Thais don’t want should be allowed to work- arresting them just like their employers is not a good solution . Send the Russians home.

”Send the Russians home”   And the sooner the better because there are many more of them in Moscow waiting in line to come here.  Not my favorite visitors.  

No work visa and illegal too,pay the police a brown evenlope  a lesser fine and say bye bye thailand hello russia

21 hours ago, robert2 said:

These Russians lost their bet gambling that this business would work. Now they might risk losing their properties in Thailand. And again, the nominee partner may even have snitched on them, scoring some free property.

Wouldn't be shocked if they rented the small resort rather than purchased it, subletting is where the best risk/reward is found.

On 12/2/2025 at 5:15 PM, JoePai said:

The two copps look like they are in a dual 

Yeah , the winner gets to tske the Russian lady to the bedroom for some further enquiries.

On 12/3/2025 at 8:29 AM, ryandb said:

I hope someone helps La out; I hope she doesn't get lost in a neverending stay in a detention centre. Ideally this would be the people who employed her, but I have a feeling they might not care about what they've got her into by not organising the correct visa for her.

Possible La duped