Police Detain 4 Chinese Nationals on Bus in Chumphon

Thai police in Chumphon have detained four Chinese nationals found travelling on a long-distance public bus without passports or valid immigration documents. The group was intercepted on the Bangkok to Sungai Kolok route during a highway checkpoint operation, leading to immediate questioning and transfer for legal proceedings.

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Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), working with Highway Police Division 2, stopped the passenger coach at the Tha Sae service area in Tha Sae district after receiving intelligence from an informant. The tip suggested that a group of Chinese men suspected of irregular entry was travelling south towards the border region.

During inspection, the four men were found to hold valid bus tickets but were unable to produce passports or any documents confirming legal entry into Thailand. The individuals were identified as Niu Ming, 36, Ji Po, 18, Wang Yi, 18, and Jai Chan Po, 25, all Chinese nationals.

Police confirmed the group was charged with being foreign nationals entering and remaining in the Kingdom of Thailand without permission. They were taken into custody at the checkpoint and later transferred to Tha Sae Police Station for further legal processing.

According to investigators, the operation was carried out under the direction of senior officers within the Central Investigation Bureau and Highway Police Command. The coordinated stop formed part of wider efforts to detect irregular migration along key transport routes in southern Thailand.

Initial inquiries suggested possible links between the detained individuals and an online scam network operating in the region, although authorities stressed that no additional charges relating to organised crime have yet been filed. Investigators are currently examining potential connections to facilitators who may have assisted in their entry and southbound travel.

Police said the case remains under active investigation, with further questioning underway to establish how the group entered Thailand without documentation and whether they were being moved as part of a wider trafficking or criminal network.

Amarin reported that authorities added that follow-up action will focus on tracing any individuals or groups involved in transporting or harbouring the suspects, as well as mapping potential cross-border links.

Picture courtesy of Amarin

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 4 July 2026

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