Man wanted for alleged embezzlement in China arrested in Thailand

 A 30-year-old Chinese man holding Vanuatu nationality was recently arrested for allegedly embezzling 11 billion baht from a Chinese construction company and overstaying his visa in Thailand, the Immigration Bureau said on Saturday.

Immigration police discovered that the suspect, identified as Zhang Wei, had entered illegally and hidden himself in Bangkok.

Investigators also found that the suspect’s biometric data matched that of a Vanuatu national named Tu Nan, leading them to believe that Zhang Wei and Tu Nan were the same person.

Immigration authorities had been monitoring Tu Nan closely after his visa expired on March 12. He had been staying at a luxury hotel in Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong area but kept a low profile by ordering meals to his room. 

On March 21, immigration police approached the suspect and requested his passport. Initially, Tu Nan claimed that he was not Chinese and he had lost his passport, but later admitted he was a Vanuatu national and showed his passport.

As his 60-day visa had expired, immigration police charged him with overstaying and took him into custody for further legal action. 

The Immigration Bureau collaborated with multiple agencies to confirm that Tu Nan was indeed Zhang Wei, who is suspected of embezzling 2.4 billion Chinese yuan (11 billion baht) from a Chinese construction company in China’s Shandong province in 2024.

The Immigration Bureau will now notify the relevant authorities to take further legal action against Zhang Wei.

Pol Maj-General Prachya Prasansuk, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said the operation was successful due to the use of biometric systems and official efforts in gathering evidence. 

He urged homeowners and hotel managers to pay closer attention to regulations regarding foreigners staying in Thailand, and encouraged anyone with information about illegal foreign entries to contact the Immigration Bureau hotline at 1178.