Thai police arrest gambling boss Pei Min Si in Pattaya raid on April 9

(AsiaGameHub) –   Thai authorities have apprehended Pei Min Si following an early morning operation in Pattaya on April 9. Officials connected him to the Shwe Kokko online gambling syndicate and moved forward with the arrest after a warrant was requested by the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok.

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Good to Know

• Pei Min Si was captured by police at a hideaway in Pattaya on April 9.
• The syndicate was associated by officials with 239 channels and in excess of 330,000 active participants.
• According to investigators, the enterprise has produced THB13.18 billion in revenue since 2016.

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Thailand Arrest Puts Focus Back on Shwe Kokko Network

This detention brings a protracted investigation back into the spotlight. Pei was characterized by The Chiang Rai Times as „a key figure“ in Myanmar’s iGaming underworld, with the broader scheme being connected by investigators to over 239 channels and more than 330,000 active users spread across 31 Chinese provinces.

Online gambling is prohibited in China, where legal casino operations are confined to Macau. This context clarifies why Beijing maintains pressure on cases involving cross-border betting rings operating from zones near the Myanmar border.

According to authorities, Pei had been a fugitive since May 2024, when he departed Thailand for Laos on a Chinese passport. He allegedly re-entered Thailand in August 2025 using a „golden passport“ issued by St. Kitts and Nevis.

This method of obtaining a passport has been criticized in the past. The citizenship by investment program in St. Kitts and Nevis permits applicants to gain citizenship via a minimum donation of $250,000, the purchase of private property for at least $600,000, or a minimum investment of $325,000 in an approved development project.

Law enforcement officials state that cost was probably not an obstacle. Since 2016, the gambling network has been linked by authorities to a turnover of THB13.18 billion (approximately $409.8 million) and profits of around THB2.4 billion.

Shwe Kokko continues to be a focal point of the case. Myanmar has declared it is cracking down on illegal iGaming and online fraud in the border region, an area frequently labeled the scam capital of Myanmar. During recent police actions, 3,300 computers and almost 22,000 mobile phones purportedly used for accepting online wagers were confiscated and destroyed.

However, external skepticism persists. The New York Times characterized these raids as „performative,“ contending that Myanmar’s junta conducted them to alleviate pressure from Beijing instead of dismantling the larger criminal enterprise.

Chinese officials have approached the matter as a component of a broader criminal issue. Incidents associated with these networks frequently involve kidnapping, forced labor, telecom fraud, and the production and sale of drugs. In February, China executed 11 members of the Ming family in Myanmar following their conviction for telecom fraud, drug trafficking, and murder.