Thai boy, 11, loses one million baht chasing rare Pokémon card

BANGKOK, Aug 21 — An 11-year-old boy is nursing a loss of more than 1 million baht after allegedly being conned in a hunt for a rare Pokémon card — and he is not the only one.

The schoolboy is among at least 25 victims who marched into Bangkok’s Economic Crime Suppression Division last Wednesday, flanked by consumer advocate Tankhun Jitt-itsara, to file a complaint against a man known only as “Mr Mor”, The Bangkok Post reported today.

Their combined losses? A staggering 5 million baht and counting.

Mr Mor allegedly built his reputation in Thailand’s booming trading card scene by promising to source rare Pokémon cards and other prized collectibles from overseas.

At first, victims say, the goods arrived — genuine, on time, and profitable enough to spark word-of-mouth referrals across the tight-knit collector community.

Then came the bigger orders, followed by a familiar refrain of excuses about customs snags, tax troubles and import delays.

Soon after, Mr Mor reportedly went dark, cutting off contact and pulling down his Facebook trading page.

A 15-year-old trader told police the scam only unravelled once buyers began wiring larger sums for high-value cards.

One 22-year-old collector said he was out more than 100,000 baht after snapping up several premium cards priced at around 60,000 baht apiece, having been lulled by earlier profitable deals.

The alleged fraud lands as Thailand’s trading card market booms, with limited-edition cards fetching hundreds of thousands — sometimes millions — of baht, drawing in hobbyists, investors and plenty of star-struck teens.

Event organiser Chatchanapong Kaewthong urged collectors to verify sellers, product origins and transaction histories before parting with big money, rather than leaning on friendly rapport or promises of insider access.

Tankhun, president of the Santiprachadham Club, called for stronger safeguards in a scene increasingly populated by young players, and pressed authorities to track Mr Mor down and check whether more victims are still out there.