Woman arrested in Thailand over record $186M romance scam

A woman has been arrested at Hat Yai International Airport over her alleged role in a 6.3 billion baht ($186 million) romance scam, the largest ever in Thailand, Report informs via South China Morning Post.

The arrest of Orathai, a Thai national whose surname was not revealed, happened on Saturday, according to a report by the Bangkok Post. It came after an investigation in 2022 into the scam involving two senior executives at Essilor Manufacturing (Thailand), including the company’s chief financial officer Chamanan Phetporee.

Orathai, 52, was on an arrest warrant for multiple charges, including collusion in money laundering over the 2022 case, participation in a transnational crime organization and collusion in fraud through identity theft.