8 Chinese Arrested in Thailand for Unauthorized Short Drama Filming
Eight Chinese nationals were arrested by Thai police yesterday while filming a short drama in a residence in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on the grounds of working and filming without permission in Thailand. These 8 Chinese, who entered the country as tourists for private filming, will be prosecuted and face a maximum fine of 1 million Thai Baht.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 17:51
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei 9th) Eight Chinese nationals were arrested by Thai police yesterday while filming a short drama in a residence in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on the grounds of working and filming without permission in Thailand. These 8 Chinese, who entered the country as tourists for private filming, will be prosecuted and face a maximum fine of 1 million Thai Baht.
According to Thai Headline News Agency, Thai tourist police on the 8th busted a film crew that was illegally filming a Chinese short drama in Chiang Mai, using local famous tourist attractions as filming locations and employing Thais as on-site translators. In the operation, the police arrested a total of 8 Chinese suspects, who will be further prosecuted according to law.
The report said that the second sub-division of the tourist police received a tip-off that a group of Chinese was secretly filming a movie in a residence in Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province, and organized investigators to conduct a raid. Investigators found that the film crew consisted of Chinese staff and Thai translators and was in the process of filming, but the crew could not produce legal filming permit documents, nor were there any government officials present for supervision. In addition, these Chinese staff involved in the case all entered the country as tourists and did not have relevant work permits in Thailand.
Suspect Wei, who identified herself as the producer and actress of the drama, said she was filming a currently very popular "vertical short drama." She chose to film in Chiang Mai because it is a famous tourist destination and enjoys extremely high popularity among Chinese tourists.
Investigators informed the film crew on the spot that filming movies and TV dramas in Thailand must comply with the 2008 "Film and Video Management Act," and the filming process must be supervised by government officials to prevent content from distorting facts or harming the national image. At the same time, the film script or synopsis must first be approved by the relevant committee before filming can begin. Violators of the regulations can be fined up to 1 million Thai Baht (equivalent to approximately 970,000 New Taiwan Dollars).
The report pointed out that currently, investigators have transferred these 8 Chinese suspects to the Hang Dong Police Station and charged them with "foreigners working in Thailand without permission." As for the act of filming without permission, the police will report the violation to the Film and Video Management Committee of the Tourism Department, and the committee will handle it in accordance with relevant laws. (Editors: Yang Sheng-ju / Chu Chien-ling) 1150509
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(Central News Agency, Taipei 9th) Eight Chinese nationals were arrested by Thai police yesterday while filming a short drama in a residence in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on the grounds of working and filming without permission in Thailand. These 8 Chinese, who entered the country as tourists for private filming, will be prosecuted and face a maximum fine of 1 million Thai Baht.
According to Thai Headline News Agency, Thai tourist police on the 8th busted a film crew that was illegally filming a Chinese short drama in Chiang Mai, using local famous tourist attractions as filming locations and employing Thais as on-site translators. In the operation, the police arrested a total of 8 Chinese suspects, who will be further prosecuted according to law.
The report said that the second sub-division of the tourist police received a tip-off that a group of Chinese was secretly filming a movie in a residence in Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province, and organized investigators to conduct a raid. Investigators found that the film crew consisted of Chinese staff and Thai translators and was in the process of filming, but the crew could not produce legal filming permit documents, nor were there any government officials present for supervision. In addition, these Chinese staff involved in the case all entered the country as tourists and did not have relevant work permits in Thailand.
Suspect Wei, who identified herself as the producer and actress of the drama, said she was filming a currently very popular "vertical short drama." She chose to film in Chiang Mai because it is a famous tourist destination and enjoys extremely high popularity among Chinese tourists.
Investigators informed the film crew on the spot that filming movies and TV dramas in Thailand must comply with the 2008 "Film and Video Management Act," and the filming process must be supervised by government officials to prevent content from distorting facts or harming the national image. At the same time, the film script or synopsis must first be approved by the relevant committee before filming can begin. Violators of the regulations can be fined up to 1 million Thai Baht (equivalent to approximately 970,000 New Taiwan Dollars).
The report pointed out that currently, investigators have transferred these 8 Chinese suspects to the Hang Dong Police Station and charged them with "foreigners working in Thailand without permission." As for the act of filming without permission, the police will report the violation to the Film and Video Management Committee of the Tourism Department, and the committee will handle it in accordance with relevant laws. (Editors: Yang Sheng-ju / Chu Chien-ling) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you make is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, transmitted, or used publicly without authorization.