‘Mek Rama’ charged for online gambling website

Police have found evidence confirming suspicions that a businessman known as “Mek Rama” — the husband of a Thai actress — did in fact operate a gambling website, with its server in Cambodia and more than 3 billion baht in circulation over the past year.

Pol Maj Gen Wiwat Khamchamna, deputy commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), said yesterday that police investigators had examined the money trail of bank accounts tied to the illegal business and found that money had been transferred from them to the personal accounts of Mr Mek, 36, who is married to Yardthip Rajpal.

According to the deputy CCIB chief, Mr Mek also runs a firm dealing with legal issues. He said the server in Cambodia was owned by Mr Mek.

Pol Maj Gen Wiwat and senior CCIB police provided updates yesterday on Thursday’s raid on 17 locations with suspected links to online gambling networks in Bangkok and other provinces. Mr Mek and eight other accomplices were arrested. They were all charged with colluding to operate a gambling business or persuading people either directly or indirectly to bet.

Thai media disclosed Mr Mek’s surname as Rasameerama.

Seized from him were some luxury cars, brandname watches, houses and more than 100 land title deeds in Phuket and Bangkok, among other items worth over a billion baht.

Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhon-bancha, commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), hailed the operation as a success.