Chinese woman arrested for $210,000 fraud after undergoing plastic surgery to avoid capture

A Chinese woman who was defrauded of more than 1.5 million yuan ($210,000) underwent plastic surgery and fled to Thailand. She is currently being investigated by Thai police and could return to the mainland.

She was arrested after Thai immigration police received a tip.

Local residents reported that the 30-year-old woman, known by her surname Xie, lived in an apartment in Bangkok and was frequently seen covering her face and wearing a mask, raising suspicions that she was one could act as an illegal immigrant.

In response, immigration officers visited her home and approached her as she came downstairs to pick up a grocery delivery and asked to check her passport.

Xie was found to have entered Thailand in late 2022 on an on-arrival visa, which allowed her a 15-day stay for tourism purposes. However, she overstayed her visa by more than 650 days. Authorities then arrested her on October 7.

During the investigation, Xie claimed to have been a flight attendant at a well-known airline before her firing. However, Thai police later discovered that she was wanted on an Interpol Blue Notice.