Thai police have arrested a 32-year-old Chinese national identified as Pei Min Si, who investigators say was a key figure in a large illegal online gambling network linked to Chinese players. He was detained on April 9 during a raid on a luxury pool villa in Pattaya’s Bang Lamung district.
Authorities say the suspect was tied to 239 illegal gambling platforms that handled about THB13.18 billion in turnover and served more than 330,000 users in China. Thai media reports said the operation involved the Central Investigation Bureau, its Special Operations Division and the Immigration Bureau after intelligence was shared by the Chinese embassy in Bangkok.
Arrest adds to pressure on cross-border gambling networks
The arrest shows Thailand is still being used as a base or transit point for people linked to illegal gambling operations aimed at China. Police said Pei had entered Thailand using Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship, which investigators believe helped him avoid detection for a period of time.
Thai reports have also linked him to the Shwe Kokko network, the Myanmar border-area project that has faced repeated attention over online gambling and other criminal activity. That link adds to the cross-border angle already hanging over the case and widens the focus beyond Thailand alone.
Case follows earlier action tied to She Zhijiang network
The arrest comes after earlier action by Thailand and China against alleged gambling bosses linked to regional online gambling networks. Reuters reported in November 2025 that Thailand extradited She Zhijiang to China after his 2022 arrest on allegations tied to illegal online gambling operations.
Pei is reported to be another figure connected to that broader network. Thai media said he was classed as a prohibited person under Thailand’s Immigration Act because he was wanted by Chinese authorities and viewed as a threat to public order or security.
For now, the arrest does not end the wider problem. But it does show Thai authorities are still targeting high-level suspects tied to cross-border iGaming operations, especially where Chinese players, foreign passports and regional criminal networks overlap.
