Communications between the United States Embassy in Bangkok and the United States State Department, released by the whistleblower website Wikileaks and featured in the United Kingdom-based Guardian newspaper, highlight a disturbing growing trend of foreign gangs operating in and out of Pattaya.
The communication stated: “Thailand enjoys a rapid expansion of Russian tourists visiting Thailand but has to deal with an unwanted side effect – the presence of Russian organized crime networks around the popular beach destinations of Pattaya and Phuket.”
Whilst the cable highlighted the increasing presence of the Russian mafia in Pattaya, recent arrests of foreign criminal gangs have, surprisingly, been predominantly from South America.
Informed sources have also pointed to growing suspicions of a large Iranian drug network in the city, which Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers believe is the target of much of the recently seized drugs being muled in by Iranian tourists.
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