TAK — A Chinese man who thought he was heading to a job in Laos ended up trapped in a scam compound in Myanmar before making a desperate escape across the border into Thailand.
Thai soldiers on patrol along the Moei River discovered 43-year-old Zhou near a broken bridge at Ban Mo Koe Thai village in Phob Phra district on Sunday. The exhausted man had just swum across the river illegally, seeking help after escaping what he realized was a criminal operation.
Zhou told authorities he had been duped by what seemed like a legitimate job offer. On September 16, he arranged to meet a friend for work in Xishuangbanna, which he believed was in Laos. After traveling to the Thai border town of Phob Phra, he crossed into what he thought was Laos territory, where a car was waiting to pick him up.
“He had no idea he was actually entering Myanmar,” said a military source. “By the time he realized he’d been tricked into a scam operation, it was too late.”
Zhou managed to escape from the compound and made his way back to the river, swimming across to reach Thai territory where he hoped to find safety. However, since he crossed illegally at a prohibited border point, Thai authorities had to detain him.
Military officials turned Zhou over to local police, who charged him with entering Thailand without permission, even though he holds a valid Chinese passport.
The area where Zhou was held operates under the control of the Karen Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and has become a major hub for online scam operations targeting victims worldwide. These criminal networks often trick people with fake job offers, then force them to participate in fraud schemes.
The incident comes as authorities on both sides of the border crack down on these operations. Earlier this year, Thai officials cut electricity and internet access to suspected scam compounds in Myanmar, while Chinese authorities have repatriated over 2,800 Chinese nationals who were caught up in similar schemes, many from the border city of Myawaddy.
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