Pajjuban Aungkachotephan, better known as Ko Tong (Big Brother Tong), had been sought by police for the last week on human trafficking charges.
"He surrendered to police this morning in Bangkok," national police spokesman Lieutenant General Prawut Thavornsiri told AFP.
"Police are now taking him to the south for questioning and more investigation," he added.
Ko Tong was until recently an influential official in Thailand's southern province of Satun, a region long known to be a major transit point for people smugglers and traffickers.
Thai police had previously suggested he might have fled to Malaysia, but Prawut said there was no evidence he had left the country.
Television showed pictures of Ko Tong, balding and dressed in a white t-shirt, appearing at a brief press conference flanked by police officers, some of whom were armed.
Local media reported that he denied all the charges against him and said he would only testify in court.
Regional police official Major General Puthichart Ekachant told AFP that 65 arrest warrants have now been issued against people suspected of involvement in people trafficking or smuggling.
So far 31 have been arrested or surrendered, including Ko Tong, he added.
More than 50 police have been transferred from their positions for failing to stop the trade. No military officials have been caught up in the current crackdown.
If convicted, Ko Tong faces between four to 15 years in jail and a fine up to one million baht ($30,000).