Yasothon, Thailand
At 4:30 AM on February 19th, 2025, Yasothon immigration police arrested 10 suspects—eight Chinese nationals and two Thais—at the Yasothon Bus Terminal. The group were found with 91 mobile phones and had allegedly entered Thailand illegally.
Authorities had been tipped off by a concerned citizen about a smuggling operation using a Bangkok-Khemmarat bus route. Upon further inspection, police found two Chinese suspects had overstayed their visas, while two others had no passports. They were charged with illegal entry and overstaying their visas.
The two Thai bus drivers reportedly admitted to picking up the group in Saraburi and transporting them to Ubon Ratchathani. The Chinese suspects, speaking through an interpreter, claimed they were heading for work and denied ownership of the phones.
Police suspect they may be linked to call center scams, as the group was traveling toward Khemmarat, a border district near Laos. Authorities believe they were fleeing ongoing crackdowns and are investigating further.
Yasothon, located deep in Northeast Thailand, is well known for its famous annual rocket festival in May but outside of this time period generally attracts very few foreign tourists or visitors.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
