Phuket–
Police have arrested a woman who posed as a luxury villa booking agent in Phuket. The suspect allegedly defrauded both Thai and foreign tourists by collecting advance payments for villa reservations and then disappearing with the money. Authorities revealed she was wanted under three separate arrest warrants for similar fraud cases, with damages exceeding 5 million baht.
The case came to light after two Russian tourists sought help from the Transnational Crime Suppression Center of Police Region 8. They reported being tricked into transferring large sums, 1.5 million baht and 500,000 baht respectively, for villa bookings in Cherng Talay, Thalang. Upon arrival, they discovered no reservations had been made under their names and were unable to contact the broker.
Investigators traced Mrs. Yu to a residence in Thepkrasattri in Thalang, but she had evaded capture for some time. Police suspected multiple victims beyond those already identified, warning that such scams could seriously damage Thailand’s tourism reputation and harm legitimate businesses.
A special task force was deployed. On August 26th, 2026, at 6:00 AM, officers raided the suspect’s home in Thalang and successfully apprehended her. Authorities confirmed that Mrs. Yu was subject to three outstanding fraud warrants and admitted during questioning that she had deceived several other victims. The total damages are estimated at around 5 million baht.
She has been handed over to Thalang Police Station investigators to face charges of fraud. Police have urged any additional victims to come forward and file complaints so evidence can be consolidated for prosecution.
