Legal victory for Beijing
An appeals court in Bangkok has approved the extradition to China of She Zhijiang, a Chinese‑Cambodian tycoon accused of orchestrating a massive online‑gambling and fraud empire across the Thai‑Myanmar border. The ruling means Thailand will transfer him within 90 days, bringing a high‑profile fugitive one step closer to facing justice in China.
The crime network: scam city, casinos and human‑trafficking links
Chinese authorities allege that She established and led operations including:
- Building the so‑called “city” project Shwe Kokko in Myanmar’s Kayin State near the Thai border, which became a hub for online scams, gambling and human‑trafficking activities.
- Operating at least 239 illegal gambling websites, with circulating capital estimated at over THB 12.6 trillion (roughly US $386 billion).
- Facilitating “scam farms” where workers — including trafficked individuals — were forced into online fraud and other illicit schemes. Victim testimony and U.N. reports tie these activities to the region.
Arrest and legal battle
She was arrested by Thai authorities in August 2022 in Bangkok, on the basis of an Interpol red notice and a 2014 Chinese warrant. Thailand’s Criminal Court approved extradition in May 2024, and on 6 November 2025 the Thai Appeal Court delivered its verdict upholding the extradition order.
He remains detained in Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok. His legal team had argued that the extradition breached constitutional protections, but the Thai Constitutional Court rejected this claim.
Significance and broader implications
- The case underscores Thailand’s growing cooperation with China in tackling cross‑border cyber‑crime, online gambling and trafficking networks.
- It highlights the role of border zones such as northeast Thailand and Myanmar as hubs for fraud, exploitation and organised crime.
- For China, the extradition serves both as enforcement of its law‑and‑order agenda and a signal to foreign bases of operations that fugitives may be pursued globally.
- For other governments and regulators, the case may prompt deeper scrutiny of how online gambling, crypto‑fraud and border‑zone scams interlink and how to disrupt them.
Challenges ahead
- Ensuring She’s transfer and trial are handled transparently, respecting due‑process and human‑rights standards, given concerns raised by his defence.
- Tracking the remaining network he is alleged to have built: dismantling the infrastructure, asset‑flows, staffing and online platforms is a complex task.
- Protecting victims — many of whom were trafficked into scam camps — and ensuring reparations and repatriation frameworks are functioning.
- Addressing the root causes: such as weak regulation in border zones, porous oversight of online gambling, and incentives for fraud operators to relocate and exploit foreign jurisdictions.
What to watch next
- The date and terms of She’s actual hand‑over to China and how Thailand handles the logistics and legal formalities.
- The opening of Chinese trial proceedings, potential charges, sentencing and asset‑seizure outcomes.
- How regional governments (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos) respond in terms of policy: will this spur new legislation on cross‑border fraud, online gambling oversight or cybercrime enforcement?
- Impact on victims and whether the leadership changes translate into shuttering of major scam‑compound hubs.
The takeaway
The extradition of She Zhijiang is a headline‑making move in the fight against large‑scale cyber‑fraud, scam centres and transnational crime. While his personal arrest is a major win, dismantling the complex network he allegedly built and restoring justice to those exploited will require sustained effort — not just for China and Thailand, but for all states bordering the so‑called “scam cities.”
