Lao officials have deported 41 Thai nationals who allegedly operated online gambling websites from Vientiane after previously working as gambling website administrators in Cambodia.
Thai officials received the group at the Territorial Defence Volunteer Company in Mueang district, Nong Khai, yesterday, August 10. The returnees comprised 30 women and 11 men who had been arrested in Laos before being deported to Thailand.
Initial screening found that none of the 41 were considered victims of human trafficking and none had outstanding arrest warrants.
Checks of their travel histories found that all 41 had previously worked as administrators for gambling websites in Cambodia. They decided to return to Thailand after clashes broke out along the Thai-Cambodian border.
The group later travelled together to Vientiane through the Nong Khai border checkpoint, where they rented accommodation and allegedly established a base for online gambling operations.
During interviews and screening, all 41 admitted crossing the border to work as administrators for three gambling websites. They worked 12-hour shifts, with pay varying between the three operations.
According to Matichon, workers for Maha Heng 777 received 400 baht per day, while those working for UFA and 365 were paid 15,000 baht and 18,000 baht per month, respectively.
On July 22, Lao officials carried out a crackdown targeting illegal gambling networks, human trafficking and scammers. The 41 Thai nationals were arrested during the operation and later deported to Thailand.
In a similar operation earlier in July, Laos handed 24 Thai nationals to Thai officials at the Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Chiang Rai after officers linked them to alleged call centre scam operations. Checks by Thai officials found that two members of the group were wanted under existing arrest warrants.
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