5 Chinese nationals arrested crossing illegally into Thailand
Thai police arrested five Chinese men last night as they attempted an illegal border crossing from Myanmar into Thailand’s Tak province, raising further concerns about the region’s notorious scam operations.
Border patrol officers from the Ratchamanu Taskforce discovered the group at 8.30pm, yesterday, January 30, wading through the Moei River from Myawaddy to Mae Sot district.
The men—29 year old Huang Wen, 22 year old Song Hong, 21 year old Li Jie, 28 year old Li Hong, and 34 year old Yang Xoing —were not carrying passports and were immediately detained.
Through an interpreter, the men told Thai police that they had been working in Myawaddy and simply wanted to return to China. However, given Myawaddy’s reputation as a hotspot for Chinese-run casinos and forced labour scams, their case has drawn intense scrutiny.
The men were escorted to Tak Immigration for questioning, where Chinese embassy officials were present. Investigators are now working to determine if they were victims of human trafficking or linked to criminal activities.
Myawaddy has been under global attention following the high-profile trafficking case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped and detained in a scam compound earlier this month. His rescue sparked an online petition in China, listing over 1,500 missing Chinese citizens suspected of being trapped in border scams.
The incident comes amid rising fears among Chinese tourists about safety in Thailand, leading to a wave of cancellations of travel bookings. In response, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra made headlines by delivering an AI-generated speech in Mandarin, assuring Chinese visitors that Thailand remains a safe and welcoming destination, reported The Nation.
With border security tightening, Thai law enforcement remains on high alert for illegal crossings and trafficking operations, as pressure mounts to crack down on transnational crime.
On January 12, a meeting was held at the Royal Thai Police’s headquarters in Bangkok to discuss China’s cooperation with Thailand to combat call centre scams and trafficking.
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