Opinion: Who Imported Chinese Online Casino Scams into ASEAN?
Thai police officers arrest suspects from Myanmar and seize 46 million baht ($1.4 million) in cash during a raid on a suspected scam operation in Thailand on August 7. Khaosod English
The Yingluck Era: When Investments Shifted Shadows
During the Yingluck Shinawatra government of 2011–2014, Thailand saw an unprecedented wave of foreign capital, especially from Chinese investors. Hotels and resorts in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok were acquired via Thai proxies and Chinese-Thai nominees, navigating restrictions on foreign ownership.
While these moves looked like normal investment, the truth is that they provided a convenient cover for the importation of Chinese-linked online casino and scamming operations. Thailand’s tourism boom gave the perfect mask for what would become one of ASEAN’s most destructive underground economies.
From Thailand to the Mekong Scam Belt
When Yingluck’s government was overthrown in 2014, the scam networks did not dissolve — they relocated. Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar became the new strongholds. UNODC’s 2023 and 2025 reports detail how industrial-scale scam compounds flourished in these countries, often coercing trafficked workers into forced online fraud. INTERPOL (2025) confirmed that victims now come from more than 60 countries worldwide.
Despite the geographic shift, the heart of the networks remained connected back to Thailand. The pattern shows not accidental relocation, but a strategic migration masterminded by Thaksin Shinawatra himself.
Thaksin’s Recent Push for Casinos in Thailand
Most revealing is what happened recently. In 2024–2025, under his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s leadership as prime minister, Thaksin strongly lobbied for the legalisation of casinos and online gambling inside Thailand.
Reuters reported Thaksin’s proposals: gambling regulated via digital ID, government dashboards and taxation, potentially generating up to 100 billion baht ($3 billion) annually.
Thai PBS and the Bangkok Post covered how Paetongtarn’s government positioned this plan as “modernisation”, while many Thai politicians and the public opposed it strongly, arguing it would normalise criminal networks instead of dismantling them.
To me, this reveals that Thaksin has already accepted the truth — that casinos and online scams are easier ways to generate wealth than traditional business. By advocating to legalise them at home, he implicitly admitted what has long been denied.
Border Casinos and Political Duplicity
The evidence is plain: most casinos in Cambodia and Myanmar are positioned just across the Thai border. According to my research, many so-called local owners remain deeply connected with Thaksin’s networks. Their placement is deliberate, ensuring access to Thai customers while avoiding Thai law.
Yet, despite this, Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government keeps accusing Cambodia and Myanmar of endangering Thailand with scam compounds and cross-border threats. These accusations serve a political purpose — shifting public anger outward.
But the truth is different: the operations are managed and masterminded by Thaksin Shinawatra himself. The border locations are not a coincidence — they are the architecture of a system designed under his influence.
The Toll on Thailand
The cost is devastating. In 2024, over 400,000 scam cases were recorded, with damages above 60 billion baht ($1.8 billion).
In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 166,000 cases were recorded, causing nearly 15 billion baht ($460 million) in losses. Less than 2% of funds stolen are ever recovered.
This crisis is not just a law-enforcement problem. It is the product of a political economy in which the mastermind at the centre profits, while ordinary Thais suffer.
Conclusion: The Mastermind Revealed
The relocation of scams after Yingluck’s fall, their continued operation near Thai borders, and Thaksin’s recent push to legalise casinos at home point to one undeniable conclusion:
Thaksin Shinawatra has embraced the casino and scam industry as the fastest route to wealth.
The casinos along Thailand’s borders are no accident — they are linked through his networks.
Accusations against Cambodia and Myanmar are a diversion — the true mastermind sits within Thailand’s own political dynasty.
I argue that unless Thailand confronts this truth, scams will continue to expand, billions will be siphoned away and regional blame games will go on — while the mastermind remains untouched.
Dr. Thourn Sinan is a spiritual & tourism professional. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
