# Thai police raid Pattaya romance-scam house and detain 10 > By Kim Harris | Published: 2026-11-09T21:11:53.732498+00:00 | Section: Daily News | Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/thai-police-raid-pattaya-romance-scam-house-detain-10 | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) Thai police detained 10 foreigners in a 9 November raid on a Pattaya pool house, with about 350 million baht in transfers traced to a romance-investment scam. ## Key points - Thai immigration and Region 2 police detained 10 foreigners, eight Chinese and two Myanmar nationals, at a Nongprue, Pattaya pool house on 9 November 2026, according to The Pattaya News. - The Pattaya News says bank records show about 700 transfers totalling roughly 350 million baht into one Chinese account; MGR Online cites an unverified estimate of up to 300 million baht. - Police described a three-team hybrid scam in which victims were found on Douyin, courted for 15 to 30 days, then pushed to a fake Chinese stock app. - The alleged leader, a 37-year-old Chinese man, was not among those detained, and police said they are expanding the investigation. ## Article - Thai police detained 10 foreigners, eight Chinese and two Myanmar nationals, at a Nongprue, Pattaya house on 9 November 2026. - The Pattaya News says bank records show roughly 700 transfers totalling about 350 million baht; MGR Online cites an unverified 300 million baht estimate. - Police describe a three-team "hybrid" scam that found victims on Douyin and steered them to a fake stock app. - The alleged leader, a 37-year-old Chinese man, was not among those detained. Thai immigration and Region 2 police raided a luxury pool house in Nongprue, Pattaya, on the afternoon of 9 November and detained 10 foreigners allegedly running a romance-and-fake-investment scam aimed at Chinese victims, The Pattaya News reported on 10 November. MGR Online, a Thai national outlet, covered the same raid on 9 November. Officers seized two laptops, 32 mobile phones and more than 178 SIM cards. The dating angle is indirect: neither report says a dating app was used, and contact reportedly began on Douyin. Operators should still read it, because the playbook of romance, trust, then an investment pitch is the one the FTC describes. ### The DII Take Police describe an operation built on the romance-to-investment script that never needed a dating app to find its targets. That should concern platforms: in this case, the alleged fraud began on social video and was settled elsewhere. The money figures are police-cited and unverified, so treat them as scale indicators, not losses proven in court. ### How the alleged operation worked Police called it a "hybrid scam" run by three teams, according to The Pattaya News. One team found victims on Douyin. A second built a relationship over 15 to 30 days, then steered victims to a fake Chinese stock app and asked for transfers. A third team, based in China, withdrew the money. The house was rented for 140,000 baht a month and had been used for the operation for about six months. Evidence reportedly included chats in which operators posed as high-ranking Chinese military officers, and most victims were described as widows in China. > The house was rented for 140,000 baht a month and had been used for the operation for about six months. ### Numbers that do not match The Pattaya News puts traced transfers at about 350 million baht into one Chinese account. MGR Online says damage was initially estimated at up to 300 million baht from questioning, still to be checked. The outlets also differ on the warrant: Pattaya Provincial Court versus Chonburi Provincial Court. DII has not seen a police statement or any charging announcement. The FTC says reported romance-scam losses in the US rose 22% in 2025, at $2,020 per person, and notes scammers offer to help victims invest. DII has also covered a [joint Thai and Korean arrest of 10 people](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/thai-korean-police-arrest-ten-prosecutor-romance-scam-network). ### What to watch Police are checking identities against Thai and Chinese databases and expanding the investigation. According to MGR Online, they are coordinating with Chinese authorities and tracing the group that received and withdrew money abroad. Whether the alleged leader is found is the test of how far this reaches. - Fraud that starts on social video and ends in a fake investment app sits outside dating-app controls, so trust and safety teams should track cross-platform handoffs. - Money figures in this case differ between outlets and remain unverified; watch for an official police statement and any charges. **Sources:** [New trends in reports of imposter scams (US Federal Trade Commission)](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/05/new-trends-reports-imposter-scams); [Police Raid Luxury Pattaya House Used as Chinese Romance Scam Base (The Pattaya News)](https://thepattayanews.com/2026/11/10/police-raid-luxury-pattaya-house-used-as-chinese-romance-scam-base-10-people-detained-350-million-baht-in-transfers-traced/); [Raid on scammer base in central Pattaya (MGR Online)](https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9690000107323); [Region 2 Police Arrest Eight People in Pattaya Scam Network Raid (The Pattaya News)](https://thepattayanews.com/2026/11/06/region-2-police-arrest-eight-people-including-three-chinese-nationals-in-pattaya-scam-network-raid-22-bank-books-and-crypto-links-seized/); [Pattaya scam raid nets eight (Bangkok Post)](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3350976/pattaya-scam-raid-nets-eight); [$1.16B lost to romance scams in 2025, FTC says (Central Oregon Daily)](https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/consumer/ftc-romance-scams-1-billion-losses-2025/article_c32c7fc5-c3a9-4cdc-8f4b-c80293080267.html); [Thailand Urges China to Ease Scam-Focused Travel Alert (The Traveler)](https://www.thetraveler.org/thailand-urges-china-to-ease-scam-focused-travel-alert/) ## Key takeaways - The Pattaya raid shows romance-investment fraud can run from social video to fake stock apps without touching a dating app, so dating platforms' trust and safety teams should watch cross-platform handoffs. - The 350 million baht traced figure from The Pattaya News and MGR Online's 300 million baht estimate are police-cited and unverified, so operators should treat them as indicators of scale, not proven losses. - With the alleged leader at large and no charges seen by DII, further Thai and Chinese coordination is the development to monitor. ## FAQ ### What happened in the Pattaya romance scam raid on 9 November 2026? Thai immigration and Region 2 police raided a luxury house in Nongprue, Pattaya, and detained 10 foreigners, eight Chinese and two Myanmar nationals, over an alleged romance-and-fake-stock-app scam, according to The Pattaya News. ### How much money was lost in the Nongprue romance scam? The Pattaya News says police traced about 350 million baht in roughly 700 transfers, while MGR Online reports an unverified estimate of up to 300 million baht. Neither figure is a confirmed loss total. ### Did the Pattaya scam use a dating app? Neither report says a dating app was used. Police said the first team found victims on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/thai-police-raid-pattaya-romance-scam-house-detain-10 Citation: "Dating Industry Insights" (https://www.datingindustryinsights.com)