Thai transwoman arrested behind 50 million baht job scam
Police arrested a Thai transwoman at a market in Bangkok for orchestrating an overseas job scam that reportedly caused damages totalling between 40 and 50 million baht.
A representative of the 250 to 300 victims sought help from the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children. According to the representative, victims were deceived into paying between 150,000 and 200,000 baht each for supposed employment opportunities in Canada.
The case was transferred to officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), who discovered that three recruitment agencies were involved in the job scam. All three operated out of the same office, located in a house in Soi Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok 63/1.
Some victims who had visited the office told police that it was lavishly decorated, which gave them confidence in the legitimacy of the operation. They were initially asked to pay 48,000 baht and to submit their documents on site.
Following the initial payment, each applicant was instructed to pay additional fees for airfare and operational costs, ranging from 85,000 to 98,000 baht. These charges ultimately led to combined losses amounting to 40 to 50 million baht.
Victims said they complied with all financial requirements and waited for their journey to Canada, but no further updates were provided. Upon further inquiry, they found that all three agencies abruptly shut down.
CIB investigators later traced a counterfeit passport, issued to one of the victims, to a hotel in the Rangsit area of Pathum Thani province.
Police subsequently raided the hotel and arrested a 19 year old suspect named Nattawut, who was found in possession of 241 counterfeit passports. Nattawut admitted to his involvement and identified 20 year old transwoman Pornthep as the leader of the scam operation.
Pornthep was reportedly the director of all three fraudulent recruitment agencies. According to Nattawut, she had fled to Laos after the agencies closed down.
Police monitored Pornthep’s movements and arrested her upon her return to Thailand at a market in Soi Chom Thong 12, Chom Thong district, Bangkok, yesterday, July 20.
She has been charged under Section 341 of the Criminal Law for committing fraud by deceiving others through false statements or by concealing the truth. The offence carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.
Additionally, she faces charges under Section 128 of the Act on the Management of Foreign Workers’ Employment for deceiving victims into believing she could arrange overseas employment. This charge carries a penalty of three to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine ranging from 600,000 to 1 million baht per victim, or both.
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