Thai YouTuber, Wanted In Fraud Case, Caught Posing As Local After Failing Indonesian Anthem Test

After two years of eluding authorities in Indonesia, Thai YouTuber Natthamon Khongchak, also known as "Nutty," was extradited to Thailand. On October 25, the 31-year-old and her mother, Thaniya, were taken into custody and sent back to Thailand.

According to The Bangkok Post, Wissanu Chimtrakul, deputy director general of Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI), made the arrest in response to claims that Khongchak and her mother planned a scam that defrauded more than 6,000 people out of about 2 billion baht (US$59 million).

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Khongchak, who previously gained popularity with over 800,000 YouTube followers, initially built her platform by posting singing and dancing videos, covering well-known K-pop groups such as Blackpink and BTS. She later attempted to become a K-pop idol in South Korea, briefly debuting under the label Dream Cinema, according to the South China Morning Post.

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In recent years, Khongchak shifted her focus, portraying herself as a skilled investor and forex trader. She claimed her family was highly affluent, with assets including 14 cars and a team of 22 nannies, as she shared on a Thai television program. However, her bid to pass as a local in Indonesia faltered when she failed to sing the national anthem, ultimately leading to her arrest.

She reportedly attempted to apply for an Indonesian passport to travel overseas, but immigration officials detected her foreign accent and asked her to sing the Indonesian national anthem and recite the country's constitution. When she failed to do so, her true identity was revealed.