A Russian man linked to a boiler room gang has been arrested in connection with a triple murder in Thailand.

Daniil Aldunenkov, 23, allegedly lured Thai woman Wipaporn Racha, 44, into borrowing 1.7 million THB (48,000 USD) to clear her husband's debts. However, loan sharks reportedly began to harass the family daily.

Fearing he would lose the family house in Samut Prakan province, Wipaporn's husband Sanit Dokmai, 41, was allegedly driven to murder his wife and two children, 11 and 13, on August 28.

The troubled man then tried to slash his wrist and throat, but survived and is now being treated at a hospital.

Police, acting on arrest warrants issued by the Samut Prakan Court, investigated the suspected scammers' bank accounts and tracked down Daniil to the Panorama Hotel on Koh Samui island in Surat Thani province on September 4.

He was found at the hotel sitting with a relative next to a pool outside his room. Cops arrested him and he was handed over to the Bang Kaew district police for questioning.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Kittisak Daengchai, deputy investigation chief of Provincial Police Region 8, said: 'The Russian man faces multiple charges, including fraud, uploading false or altered information into computer systems causing damage to others, and allowing other people to use his bank accounts and electronic cards for fraud.'

Officials believe the activities of the phone scam gang, said to be operating out of Cambodia but targeting Thai families, had led to the tragic murders.

Police General Surachate Hakparn, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, was scheduled to fly to Cambodia to further investigate the gang, local media reported.

As of the first quarter of 2023, Thailand's household debt stood at 15.96 trillion baht ($455 billion), or 90.6 per cent of the country's GDP. This is the highest level of household debt in Thailand's history.

Critics blame the rise in consumer culture and the easy availability of credit.

Boiler room frauds are often conducted by unscrupulous companies that are based overseas or in states with lax securities regulations.