More than 600 people fled one of Myanmar’s most infamous scam centres and crossed into Thailand following a military raid, a Thai provincial official told AFP on Thursday.
According to Sawanit Suriyakul Na Ayutthaya, deputy governor of Tak province on the Myanmar border, 677 people escaped from the KK Park scam compound across the Moei River into Thailand as of Thursday morning.
These scam compounds—where fraudsters run online romance and business scams—have flourished along Myanmar’s loosely controlled border regions amid the country’s ongoing civil war triggered by the 2021 military coup.
A major crackdown launched in February had earlier led to the repatriation of around 7,000 workers, and Thailand implemented a cross-border internet blockade to curb criminal activities. However, an AFP investigation this month found that construction at these sites continues, with Starlink satellite receivers reportedly being installed to maintain connectivity.
“Immigration police and a military task force are providing humanitarian assistance and conducting screenings,” Sawanit said, adding that authorities will determine whether the individuals are victims of human trafficking or illegal border crossers who may face prosecution.
Experts note that while many workers are trafficked into these fortified scam centres, others join voluntarily, lured by promises of high earnings in the multi-billion-dollar cybercrime industry.
The Tak Provincial Administration Office confirmed that those crossing from Myanmar were foreign nationals, both men and women, and that more individuals are expected to enter Thailand in the coming days.
