Jets, drugs and fast cars: the ‘super-rich’ Chinese gangsters who call Thailand home
- Recent raids and investigations in Thailand have highlighted potential links between Chinese gangsters and Thai local officials
- On social media where local anger over the extent of crime by foreign criminals is mounting, Thais have voiced concern over illicit Chinese money
The scandal began to unfold in late October, when a nationwide anti-drugs operation by the Thai police unearthed a cavernous illegal nightlife den – called Jinling – hidden behind a car wash in Bangkok’s Sathorn commercial district.
It catered to a near-exclusive Chinese clientele, serving up bags of ketamine and other party drugs in karaoke rooms that raged through the night, allowing guests to stash any unfinished drugs for their next visit.
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More than 200 Chinese tourists detained in police raid on karaoke bar in Thailand
Similar raids in the resort town of Pattaya also found threads linking several suspected Chinese criminals through a web of Thai frontmen to authorities who had apparently not seen these anything-goes nightlife venues despite them drawing thousands of guests each night.
An eye-popping list of assets built from those illegal night spots were uncovered by raids over the following weeks, including a US$5.7-million mansion, supercars, millions of US dollars in cash and stashes of methamphetamine hidden away inside luxury condos in some of Bangkok’s most exclusive buildings, apparently stockpiled for sale at the clubs.
Arrests have since pointed to five suspected Chinese gangs running criminal enterprises on student visas and fake Thai identities. One alleged ringleader arrested in early November even had a bogus Chinese embassy car and police escort motorcycle.
But the spotlight has been trained on one suspect in particular: Tuhao, also known as Chainat Kornchayanan.
