3 Indians Allegedly Held Captive in Thailand by Indians For Week, 5 Arrested In Pattaya

A low-cost Thailand holiday allegedly turned into a week-long ordeal for three Indian men after they were kidnapped, tortured and held for ransom by a gang involving Indian and Pakistani nationals in Pattaya, according to Thai police. The victims were rescued from a hideout on Monday, while five Indian nationals were arrested in Bangkok the next day as investigators hunted for the Pakistani suspects and an alleged mastermind operating from Dubai.

According to the Bangkok Post, the three men, aged between 23 and 26, were allegedly lured to Thailand with a low-cost seven-day tour package before being abducted and tortured. The gang allegedly demanded a combined ransom of 2.4 million baht, or around ₹70 lakh, from their families.

Thai police rescued the three men on July 27 from a two-storey house in Pattaya's Bang Lamung district. Five Indian nationals were arrested in Bangkok on Tuesday while allegedly preparing to leave Thailand. The Pakistani suspects allegedly involved in the crime remain at large.

Victims Allegedly Tortured And Forced To Seek Ransom

The survivors told police they had been subjected to daily torture during their captivity. They allegedly said they were beaten, hung upside down, deprived of food and denied access to toilets.

Police found the three men confined in two bedrooms with their hands, mouths and legs tied. Officers also noticed bruising around their ankles, which was reportedly consistent with repeated beatings using hard objects.

According to the Bangkok Post, the kidnappers allegedly forced the victims to call their families in India and demand ransom. Thai police also reportedly found that red paint had been used on one survivor to simulate severe bleeding during video calls with relatives.

Victims Lured With Cheap Tour Package

The three men reportedly paid around 70,000 baht each for the seven-day tour package before arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on July 21.

They then travelled by taxi to Pattaya and reached a pre-arranged meeting point at a fast-food restaurant along Sukhumvit Highway.

According to their statements to police, an Indian man allegedly transported them one by one on a motorcycle to a rented house, where they were overpowered by four Pakistani nationals and another Indian accomplice.

Police Trace Hideout After Families Seek Help

The rescue operation began after the victims' families in India contacted Thai authorities for assistance.

Police Colonel Napatpong Kositsuriyamanee, Immigration Chief of Chon Buri province, said investigators discovered that the alleged gang had used a telephone number registered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, apparently to conceal their location.

Although the suspected kidnappers reportedly fled the house on motorcycles shortly before police arrived, investigators managed to rescue the three victims and launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects.

Five Indians Arrested In Bangkok

Thai police later arrested five Indian nationals in Bangkok in connection with the kidnapping. They were identified as Avtar Singh, Jagjit Singh, Rambalak Kumar, Sukhbir Singh and Kulra Singh.

The suspects were reportedly arrested at a hotel in Bangkok's Khlong Tan area while allegedly waiting to board a flight out of Thailand.

According to police sources cited by the Bangkok Post, the five suspects told investigators they had allegedly been instructed by a Pakistani national they met through a chat application about a month earlier.

Investigators reportedly suspect that the alleged mastermind was operating from Dubai and planned to receive the ransom through cryptocurrency transfers. The Indian suspects were allegedly promised cash and valuables taken from the victims, along with flight tickets to leave Thailand after the kidnapping.

Thai Police Warn Of Cross-Border Kidnapping Tactic

Police Colonel Napatpong said the case highlighted a tactic allegedly used by transnational criminal networks to target foreign travellers through fraudulent low-cost tour offers.

The incident comes days after Thailand reinstated visa-free entry for Indian passport holders in a bid to boost tourist arrivals from India. Authorities have not linked the policy change to the kidnapping case, but the incident has raised concerns over scams involving fake travel offers targeting international visitors.