Two Thai men were arrested for allegedly working for a Chinese call centre gang in Bangkok.

Nopparat, 25, and Mangkorn, 23, allegedly sent thousands of SMS phishing messages as they drove through busy districts in the Thai capital city.

They were caught on August 14 evening, after police tailed their Suzuki Ertiga GX as it was making rounds in the Soi Sukhumvit 3 area.

Officers stopped the vehicle for an inspection and discovered a base station and various electronic equipment used to send scam texts with fraudulent links en masse.

The pair claimed they were hired through the Telegram app by a Chinese employer, who allegedly trained them to use the unauthorised messaging tools to send between 5,000 to 10,000 messages a day.

They said they previously earned a daily wage of 3,300 baht (75 GBP), but after switching to a rented vehicle, their income dropped to 1,350 baht (31 GBP) per day.

Authorities said the arrest, which was part of 'Operation Khao San', came after suspicious SMS activity was detected in central Bangkok.

Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiewpan, commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, said in a press conference on Saturday: 'We are expanding the investigation to arrest the Chinese employer and determine if he is connected to a previous similar case. We are gathering evidence to take legal action against the foreigner and Thai collaborators relevant to this operation.'

Nopparat and Mangkorn were reportedly charged with attempting to defraud the public, importing false computer system data in a manner likely to cause damage to the public, and participating in organised crime.

Thailand has seen a surge in Chinese-run scam syndicates, many operating out of call centres, casinos, and online fraud hubs in luxury villas in the country. Thai authorities are scrambling to crack down on the gangs, which often lure victims into investment scams, fake romance schemes, and online fraud.

(1 GBP = 43.97 THB)