BANGKOK — Taiwan refuted false reports claiming its citizens were trafficked from Thailand to Myanmar scam centers and were refusing repatriation.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Thailand has issued a statement on June 4, 2025 denying fake news reports claiming that Taiwanese nationals were deceived into coming to Thailand and subsequently trafficked to Myanmar for illegal work, with 5 allegedly refusing to return home.
The office emphasized it had never reported that Taiwanese nationals involved with call center gangs refused to return to Taiwan.
The statement detailed the actual situation: “Most Taiwanese nationals involved with call center gangs who work in Southeast Asian countries use Thailand only as a transit point. Upon arrival in Thailand, criminal organizations manage and transport them to scam call centers in Myanmar, Laos, or Cambodia. The relevant Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices of the Taiwan government provide assistance to Taiwanese nationals on a case-by-case basis.”
Assistance Protocol Explained
When Taiwanese nationals escape from scam centers and arrive in Thailand, the office provides legal assistance according to Thai law, including:
- Helping Taiwanese nationals who entered Thailand illegally to report to Thai police
Cooperating with Thai immigration authorities for orderly repatriation - Maintaining close coordination with Thai police, immigration offices, and other relevant Thai agencies
The office expressed hope that Thai authorities would proactively assist Taiwanese nationals involved with call center gangs who are awaiting repatriation.
The Taiwan government and its representative office urged the public to be cautious of false job recruitment information to avoid becoming victims of criminal groups and to protect their personal safety.
Background: January Incident Resurfaces
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry Permanent Secretary Nattriya Thaweewong had previously clarified on June 3 that after coordinating with relevant agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Royal Thai Police, and Tourism Authority of Thailand, the reports were confirmed to be old news from January.
Ms. Nattriya stated that the original incident involved 8 Taiwanese nationals who voluntarily joined a “free travel tour.” Based on data from TECO, three Taiwanese have returned home while five citizens are still in Myanmar and unwilling to come back.
According to media reports, the three Taiwanese nationals who returned later claimed they had to pay 300,000 New Taiwan Dollars each to escape the scam center. These three individuals have since returned to Taiwan and began giving media interviews, causing the story to resurface recently.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has not remained idle regarding the dissemination of such news. We have coordinated to verify facts and maintain strict vigilance in news dissemination to prevent ripple effects that could further damage tourism confidence,” the ministry’s permanent secretary stated.
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