Following Chinese ransom case, Big Joke says Pattaya expats will be closely scrutinised

Assistant Commissioner of Police Surachate Hakparn, also known as “Big Joke,” says that expats in Pattaya will be scrutinised closely as part of Operation X-Ray. This news follows the recent case in which a Chinese woman was abducted in Pattaya as she went to get her child from school, and gangsters demanded 1 million yuan (4.7 million baht) in ransom. Big Joke arrived in Pattaya on Friday to follow up on the case, The Pattaya News reported.

Big Joke said the Chinese nationals involved in the ransom case are reportedly known criminals in an organised gang that China has previously cracked down on, causing them to flee to Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.

Big Joke said that Thai police contacted their Chinese counterparts with Interpol ‘Red Notices’ to extradite suspects who fled Thailand.

As part…