Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) apprehended a Russian individual in a high-end penthouse in Pattaya yesterday for his alleged involvement in unlawful trading, which was linked to the tragic suicide of a Thai woman.
The 40-year-old Russian man, Alexey Vegman, was taken into custody on April 4 on charges related to prohibited trading. Vegman has denied all accusations and is presently being interrogated at the ECD headquarters.
Authorities conducted searches at his penthouse and two other residences in the vicinity, seizing multiple pieces of evidence associated with the illicit activities. These items included seven laptops, three mobile phones, six electronic cards, 14 bank accounts, four chequebooks, and nine secure pass devices utilized for generating one-time passwords (OTPs) to access online financial systems.
Vegman’s arrest stemmed from a complaint lodged by relatives of a Thai woman named Nawaporn. Reports indicate that Nawaporn tragically took her own life after investing in Forex trading through an intermediary.
Encouraging others to invest alongside her, Nawaporn managed to amass over 20 million baht in investments. Regrettably, she incurred losses and was unable to reimburse her fellow investors, ultimately leading to her suicide.
The intermediary Nawaporn engaged with was an illicit trader, and Vegman allegedly played a role in its operations. It is believed that Vegman did not act alone, and authorities are actively pursuing other potential suspects.
Police investigations noted that this illegal operation had been running for approximately three years, amassing funds exceeding 100 billion baht within its network.
In a separate incident, three Russian men and a Thai woman were arrested for illicitly operating a restaurant in Phuket. Among them, one Russian individual employed a Thai woman as a nominee to obtain the restaurant operating license. Another Russian was a shareholder in the establishment, while the third Russian national served as a finance manager.
Furthermore, a Russian woman is being sought by Thai authorities for colluding with two Thai women to create sham enterprises aimed at illegally assisting foreign nationals with visas, work permits, and business licenses. The Russian woman is also suspected of being involved in money laundering activities.
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