A suspected right-hand man of a Chinese crime boss has been arrested in Bangkok in connection with an online fraud and money laundering network believed to have washed more than 54 million baht through cryptocurrency.
His arrest coincides with a Thai Anti Cyber Scam Centre (ACSC) report that online scams caused losses of more than 960 million baht in a single month.
The suspect, 29-year-old Chinese national Guangchang Sae-sue, was taken into police custody outside a condominium building in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district on Aug 6, police said. He was wanted on charges of criminal association, involvement in an organised crime network and money laundering.
Officers seized 500,000 baht in cash, two mobile phones and a car during the operation. Police also found 2.56 grammes of ketamine and five packets of Happy Water, a synthetic narcotic mixture, with a combined weight of 36.12 grammes. (continues below)
The arrest stemmed from an earlier investigation into six members of a cash withdrawal network detained in December 2025. Authorities linked the group to an online fraud case in Nakhon Pathom and later traced financial connections to a wider criminal network.
Thai investigators allege that Guangchang acted as a middleman, collecting cash withdrawn by so-called cash mule teams before directing the money to underground currency exchange operators and associates who converted the funds into cryptocurrency.
During questioning, police said, he admitted working under the instructions of a Chinese organiser and preparing cash for conversion into USDT on the black market.
A broader investigation led police to search three locations linked to currency exchange activities and residences used by Chinese nationals. Authorities traced digital transactions worth around 1.66 million USDT, equivalent to approximately 54.8 million baht, allegedly transferred to the network's organiser.
Police believe the funds originated from online fraud and other criminal activities.
The suspect and seized assets have been handed over to investigators for legal proceedings. The Thai Anti Cyber Scam Centre has also been asked to pursue asset seizures and assist in efforts to identify and apprehend additional members of the network.
The arrest also comes amid growing concern over the scale of cybercrime in Thailand.
In a separate case, the ACSC coordinated with Chiang Rai police to assist a temple abbot who allegedly lost more than 8.3 million baht to scammers posing as Thai government officials.
According to investigators, the fraud began in early 2025 when criminals falsely claimed that the abbot's name had been used to open mule bank accounts connected to online crime. They allegedly threatened damage to his reputation if he disclosed the matter and persuaded him to transfer funds for what they described as investigations.
The abbot initially refused to believe he had been deceived and was reluctant to cooperate. After several days of discussions with officials, he agreed to file a complaint with police.
Investigators found that between Jan 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, the victim made 207 transfers worth a total of 8.32 million baht to more than 50 bank accounts. The money included personal savings as well as temple funds. Police have since frozen accounts linked to the case and are working to recover assets.
Meanwhile, the Anti Online Scam Centre reported receiving 25,201 online crime complaints in July 2026 alone, with total losses exceeding 961.6 million baht. Fraud involving goods and services accounted for 19,680 cases, representing 78.1% of all reports. Although shopping and service related scams were the most common, impersonation fraud caused the largest financial losses, totalling more than 263 million baht.
Between Aug 2 and Aug 8, authorities received another 6,424 complaints through the Thai Police Online platform, with combined losses exceeding 269 million baht.
Officials said investment and financial scams generated the greatest monetary damage during the week, exceeding 95 million baht and highlighting the growing sophistication of criminal networks that continue to exploit both digital technology and public trust.
