Immigration police have arrested a 45-year-old South Korean man, identified only as Mr Kim, in Pattaya, Chonburi, where he is accused of operating cross-border scam and illegal online gambling networks using Thailand as a base.

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The arrest took place on 4 July 2026 at around 15:00, when officers from Immigration Bureau Region 3, led by Pol Maj Gen Songprot Sirisukha, acting on international intelligence and an Interpol arrest warrant, located Mr Kim hiding in a massage shop in the Nong Prue area of Bang Lamung district. He is wanted in connection with call centre scam operations and multiple online gambling websites, including Shinsegae, LIGHT, Gangnam, Bang At Kan, and BLUE, which allegedly provided betting services such as baccarat and slots to users in South Korea.

Investigators said Mr Kim had been using Thailand as a command base to manage the networks remotely. Authorities believe he had been hiding in Pattaya for some time and frequently visited a local massage shop, which officers used as the location to carry out surveillance before moving in to arrest him. After being detained, officers informed him of the warrant and revoked his temporary permission to stay in the kingdom.

Police then escorted Mr Kim to search a nearby residence, where they discovered multiple computers and systems believed to be used for managing the gambling operations. The equipment reportedly contained back-office platforms showing agent and user accounts such as mid777, mia777, and akka1111, along with detailed betting data including total bets, win-loss margins, and overall turnover generated through the networks.

Pictures courtesy of Khaosod

Authorities estimate that each gambling website under his control generated turnover of more than 125 million baht per year. The seized computers and digital evidence have been taken for further forensic examination to expand the investigation and identify wider network links.

Khaosod reported that officials confirmed that Mr Kim will face further legal proceedings under Thai immigration and criminal law, with authorities preparing for deportation and coordinated international follow-up with foreign law enforcement agencies.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 5 July 2026

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When Interpol knows your favourite massage shop, it’s probably time to move 😂