Thai police chiefs say they are working with social media executives on a plan to purge encrypted platforms of illegal gambling-related group chats.
Officials from the Royal Thai Police held discussions with Line Thailand on May 14. The talks centered on ways to block online gambling, drug trafficking, and arms smuggling-related gatherings, per the Thai media outlet Top News Report.
Attendees included the police’s top cybercrime investigation officials, and Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiwphan, the force’s Deputy Inspector-General.
Line is based in Japan, and was originally launched in 2011 by an offshoot of the South Korean internet giant Naver.
It has since found enormous popularity in Thailand, with 54-56 million monthly active users, according to its own figures.
With over 80% of the Thai population using Line, the firm says it has experienced explosive business growth.
But police say criminal gangs now use Line open chat rooms to lure gamblers onto illegal betting platforms, launder cash, and orchestrate gambling-related scams.
Thai Police: Gambling Chat Rooms Must Go
Like Telegram, Line offers open chat room functions with anonymity features, catering to a range of community interests.
Police say criminals have exploited some of these functions. But while rivals like Telegram are harder to prosecute due to their lack of physical presence in Thailand, the same is not true of Line’s operator LY Corporation.
The firm’s success in Thailand has led it to establish a dedicated Thai subsidiary in Bangkok.
During the summit, police and Line officials agreed to step up their cooperation efforts “by mid-year.”
The parties also agreed that Line would crack down on Thai-language groups that promote investment scams and spread pornographic materials.
The Royal Thai Police also asked the social media firm to block accounts belonging to criminal groups that create chat rooms to trade firearms and narcotics.
The Line Thailand chiefs said they would “fully cooperate” and would leverage support from LY Corporation in Japan.
Officials said they would upgrade existing data-blocking request systems, enabling more comprehensive, faster, and more efficient account closures.
They added that their revamped system would go live “by mid-2026.”
Raid Takes Down Online Casino AM 08
Elsewhere in the country, Royal Thai Police officials are continuing to crack down on illegal online casino operators.
Their latest raids saw them take down a popular Thai-language casino platform named AM 08, reported the Thai media outlet Bangkok Insight.
Officers in Ranong Province said they arrested a 24-year-old suspect during an operation in the Mueang District.
Police said they seized cash, computer equipment, and mobile phones from the address, described as a residential property.
AM 08 went live over two years ago, said Pol. Lt. Gen. Surapol Prembutr, Commander of the Cybercrime Investigation Bureau.
The platform accepted bets from around 36,000 users, officials say. It also allegedly ran illegal lottery events and offered slots, baccarat, and sports betting services.
Late last month, the Thai Department of Special Investigation seized $15.3 million worth of funds in several bank accounts.
The department said the funds belonged to a money laundering service that catered to a major online gambling network.
