Debt-dodging loan app users have plunged Pattaya Police Station into chaos after diverting more than 200 debt collection calls to its main phone line. Furious creditors abused officers, emergency communications were disrupted and police have launched a hunt for the ingenious masterminds behind the scam.
Debt-dodging loan app borrowers have turned Pattaya City Police Station into a debt resolution call centre after redirecting more than 200 creditor calls to its main phone line. The barrage of calls has swamped officers, disrupted communications and triggered an urgent police search for those behind the exploit. The astonishing scam burst into public view when a viral video captured a furious debt collector berating a station dispatcher who repeatedly insisted he was a serving police officer. The bizarre development has left hard-working cops fielding demands for the repayment of unpaid loans instead of handling emergency calls and fighting crime.
Pattaya police have launched an urgent hunt after desperate debtors allegedly dumped more than 200 loan collection calls onto the city’s main police station, leaving officers swamped by angry creditors and disrupting normal operations.
The bizarre scheme threw Pattaya City Police Station into chaos over three days. Instead of reaching borrowers, debt collectors found themselves connected directly to police dispatchers. However, many callers refused to believe they had reached a police station. Instead, they continued demanding repayment and, in some cases, allegedly abused officers over the phone.
The disruption exploded into public view after a video went viral on social media. The footage showed a Pattaya police radio operator attempting to explain to a caller that he was speaking from a police station. Nevertheless, the person on the other end allegedly continued pressing for payment and verbally attacking the officer.
Viral video exposes bizarre scheme that turned Pattaya police dispatchers into debt negotiators
Consequently, reporters travelled to Pattaya City Police Station in Bang Lamung district on Tuesday, June 2, as the story gained momentum online.
The accompanying social media post painted a picture of a police force already stretched to its limits before the debt collection calls began flooding in.
According to the post, two officers manning the radio centre handled an extraordinary workload during a single eight-hour shift. Between 8am and 4pm, they dealt with nearly 20 traffic accidents. Meanwhile, they responded to almost 30 incidents involving drunk or mentally disturbed individuals. In addition, they handled a stream of public complaints and routine service requests.
The officer behind the post said the pace was so relentless that staff even had to take ordered food home uneaten. Yet the loan app calls emerged as the biggest headache of all.
According to the account, borrowers had begun forwarding debt collection calls directly to the police station. As a result, officers suddenly became the unwilling middlemen in loan disputes. At least 10 such calls were received during a single shift. Furthermore, the post claimed one of the borrowers involved was a doctor.
Exhausted officers handling crashes and emergencies suddenly caught in loan app debt disputes
Even after officers identified themselves as police, many callers reportedly refused to believe them. Instead, they continued arguing and calling back. Some allegedly became increasingly aggressive as they pressed for repayment.
The mounting disruption prompted Pattaya City Police Station Superintendent Pol. Col. Anek Sarathongyoo to step in personally. After receiving reports about the incident, he visited the station’s communications centre to encourage staff and discuss immediate measures.
However, the calls did not stop.
While meeting officers, Pol. Col. Anek received reports that more than 10 nuisance calls had already arrived that morning. Most were linked to debts taken out through mobile loan applications. According to police, callers included Thai nationals as well as individuals whose accents appeared similar to those of Cambodian nationals.
Police chief intervenes as nuisance calls continue and creditors refuse to believe dispatchers
Investigators believe debtors deliberately redirected collection calls to the station’s direct mobile number in an attempt to dodge creditors. Consequently, debt collectors trying to track down borrowers instead found themselves arguing with police operators.
The irony was not lost on officers. The direct number was introduced to improve public access to police services and speed up incident reporting. It was intended to complement the national 191 emergency hotline. Instead, police say it became a dumping ground for debt collection calls.
According to Pol. Col. Anek, the problem surfaced only two or three days ago. Yet within that short period, creditors generated more than 200 calls demanding payment. The sheer volume disrupted normal work and tied up officers handling communications.
In some cases, exchanges between debt collectors and radio operators became heated. Eventually, one confrontation was recorded and uploaded online. Thereafter, the clip spread rapidly across social media and turned the bizarre episode into a public spectacle.
More than 200 calls in three days overwhelm police communications and spark an online sensation
Police moved quickly to contain the disruption. Initially, officers recorded the numbers involved and blocked further nuisance calls. Afterwards, all phone numbers were handed to investigators for technical analysis.
The investigative team has now been ordered to identify both the callers and the people responsible for redirecting the calls. Furthermore, police are examining whether any criminal offences were committed.
Pol. Col. Anek said officers would pursue those responsible and take legal action where appropriate. Meanwhile, investigators are tracing telephone ownership records and analysing technical data linked to the calls.
Police also warned that nuisance calls can interfere with genuine emergency communications. Every unnecessary call occupies a line. Consequently, people needing urgent police assistance could face delays.
Investigators trace phone records as police warn nuisance callers may face legal consequences
Despite the disruption, Pattaya City Police Station continues to operate both its direct contact number and the 191 emergency hotline.
The investigation remains active. Officers are now attempting to identify the debtors who allegedly redirected the calls and the creditors who repeatedly contacted the station.
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For Pattaya police, these developments have created an extraordinary distraction. While officers were handling crashes, disturbances and emergency incidents, they suddenly found themselves fielding hundreds of demands for unpaid loans.
Over just three days, a phone line created to help the public became the unlikely target of a debt collection blitz, turning a busy police station into an accidental call centre for creditors chasing their money.
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Further reading:
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