Surat Thani-
On July 10th, the Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police apprehended a suspect identified only as Mr. Denis, a 42-year-old Russian national, at a house in the Baan Tai sub-district of Koh Pha Ngan district. Mr. Denis had overstayed his visa by a staggering 175 days. During the arrest, five motorbikes were seized from him.
The police investigation began after receiving complaints about a foreigner advertising motorbike rental services on Telegram under the name “Bike Phangan Samui RENT SALE.”
In a sting operation, the police rented a motorbike from Mr. Denis for 2,800 baht per week. He confessed to illegally staying in the country and running the motorbike rental business to support himself, which was also illegal as he does not have a work permit or work visa.
Mr. Denis was taken to the Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, where he faces charges related to overstaying and working without proper authorization.
Shockingly, he allegedly offered one million baht to the police in exchange for his release. Reports suggest that Mr. Denis had ties to organized crime during his time in Russia.
