No mafia in Phuket, only foreign criminals

Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, gave an interview on May 6, 2026, regarding the arrest of foreign nationals committing crimes in Thailand. He highlighted the ongoing issue of foreigners taking jobs from Thai citizens. The Phuket Provincial Police are urgently suppressing nominee groups and foreigners breaking the law.

He confirmed there are no influential figures or mafias operating in Phuket, contrary to public perception.

The commander explained the nature of cases involving foreigners. Officers have found only three cases of kidnapping for cryptocurrency extortion. The perpetrators were foreign nationals who traveled from abroad. They planned the attacks with intentions to fly home immediately afterward. Police successfully arrested all offenders in every instance. He confirmed there are no other forms of ransom or extortion happening in Phuket. The police have not received any reports of such crimes.

The primary problem involves foreigners taking local jobs. A recent example includes illegal car rental businesses, which police cracked down on with arrests in April. Authorities are also strictly inspecting entertainment venues. Anyone found breaking the law will face severe legal action. High-level policymakers will hold further discussions focusing on taxes and regulations to make these enforcement efforts more effective.

One high-profile case in November 2024, a four-man gang comprising an Armenian national and three others, two Russian and one Ukrainian, was arrested in Phang-nga after allegedly abducting a Ukrainian tourist and forcing him to transfer 8.56 million baht in cryptocurrency under threat of physical violence. The victim, Leibov, managed to escape and provided police with the suspects’ passport details. Officers obtained arrest warrants within days, and the group was apprehended before they could cross into Malaysia.

In an earlier case from January 2024, five Russian men kidnapped a Belarusian man and his wife near Naka Market. The couple was forced into a vehicle, held at a private residence, and coerced into transferring the equivalent of nearly 30 million baht in cryptocurrency. All five were sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty.

Both cases followed a similar pattern: foreign nationals targeting other foreign nationals particularly those known to hold cryptocurrency. Before attempting to flee the country immediately after. Commander Sinlert confirmed this is the operating model police have encountered across all three cases on record.

Despite the arrests, authorities acknowledge the threat requires sustained vigilance. Criminal networks increasingly view cryptocurrency as an untraceable and rapidly transferable asset, making tourists and long-term foreign residents with digital holdings a target. Police have urged anyone with information on similar activities to report directly to local stations or tourist police.