Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) reported on February 13th that Major General Chatchai Chaitchai, Chief Inspector of the Royal Thai Police, Director of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Center, and Director of the National Technology Crime Prevention Center, stated that the Thai police's crackdown on telecom fraud has begun to show results, with hundreds of victims rescued and successfully repatriated.
Statistics from the Thai Immigration Bureau show that recently, a large number of people of different nationalities have entered Thailand through border crossings or natural routes in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, many without clear travel plans or accommodation arrangements. Police have launched investigations to trace these individuals to confirm whether they have crossed the border and returned to Thailand.
Major General Chatchai Chaitchai pointed out that these cross-border individuals all left voluntarily, and no victims within Thailand have been lured abroad. Some may have been deceived into believing they could obtain legitimate employment. Those traveling to Myawaddy, Myanmar, may have joined telecom fraud syndicates or been employed by entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants, or online gambling platforms.
He emphasized that cases of people being genuinely trafficked to work abroad are extremely rare, accounting for only about 1%, such as the previously exposed case of a Chinese celebrity being scammed. The rest are those who go voluntarily.
Furthermore, Thai police recently arrested four Japanese citizens who, despite having clear travel plans to Thailand, behaved suspiciously, such as repeatedly carrying single bags between Thailand and neighboring countries and using unofficial exit channels. Investigations revealed their connections to human trafficking organizations.
Major General Thachachai added that victims of telecom fraud syndicates are located worldwide, often starting with Thai nationals deceiving their own compatriots, who then use them to lure others of the same nationality. Thais primarily play the role of "shell accounts" holders in these crimes, and Thais lured overseas to engage in fraudulent work mostly travel to Cambodia and Laos, rather than Myanmar.
In the future, the Thai government will strengthen border control to ensure the smooth repatriation of victims. Thai police also plan to hold an international conference on February 17th (Monday), inviting diplomats from various countries to discuss how to receive victims from their respective nations.
