Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Minister Phumtham Wechayachai meets the 61 people freed from Myanmar scam centres at the Tak Immigration office in Mae Sot on February 6, 2025. (Photo: Tak Public Relations Office Facebook)
Some 61 people lured by call-center scammers to work in Myanmar were rescued and sent back to Thailand on Thursday. The group, rescued from the Shwe Kokko complex in Myawaddy, comprised 39 Chinese nationals, 13 Indians, one Kazakh, five Indonesians, one Ethiopian, one Pakistani, and one Malaysian, according to the Bangkok Post.
The Myanmar Border Guard Force handed them over to Thai authorities at the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Bridge in Mae Sot district of Tak province. They were welcomed by Thailand's Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who was on an inspection trip in the border region, before going through a screening process by immigration officers.
Phumtham also said the government is assessing the impact of its decision to suspend electricity supply to three areas in Myanmar where the criminal networks operate — across the border from Tak, Kanchanaburi and Chiang Rai provinces.
The suspension began on Wednesday so it is too early to draw any conclusions, said Phumtham, before travelling to Mae Sot district to inspect operations to tackle drug and people smuggling along the border, the Bangkok Post reported.
Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra is visiting China from Wednesday to Saturday.
"The prime minister of Thailand has the Chinese blood in her, I guarantee that it's gonna be very safe for Chinese people as well," said Paetongtarn during an interview with Chinese media on Thursday. Paetongtarn said that Thai people always come to China and they feel like home, so she hopes that Chinese people can come to Thailand and feel like home as well.
"Since I'm a prime minister, I take this seriously, because Thailand and China have a very awesome relationship for a long time," Paetongtarn said. She also emphasized that she personally looks into all the securities herself.
Global Times
