CHIANG RAI — A 29-year-old Malaysian woman has been freed from a Myanmar scam operation after three years of captivity, following coordinated efforts between Thai authorities and a victims’ advocacy foundation.
The rescue operation began October 27 when the victim’s family contacted Thailand’s The Mirror Foundation, reporting that their relative was being held in Tachilek, Myanmar, a border town opposite Thailand’s Chiang Rai Province. The foundation immediately alerted the National Police’s Subcommittee on Public Relations for Technology Crime Prevention.
Rapid Response Across Borders
Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiwphan, Deputy Director of the Technology Crime Suppression Center, ordered Pol. Maj. Gen. Kritatch Bamrungrattanayos, Commander of Technology Crime Investigation Division 4, to launch an investigation despite the victim being a foreign national.
Two days later, on October 29 at 9:30 a.m., immigration officials in Chiang Rai reported that the woman, identified only as Miss Lam, had been released and voluntarily surrendered to Thai authorities.
The final detention facility in Myanmar where the 29-year-old Malaysian woman was held by scammers for over three years before her rescue by Thai authorities.
Trapped by Fake Job Offer
Miss Lam told authorities she was living in Malaysia when her mother suffered a stroke, exhausting the family’s savings on medical expenses. Searching for work online, she found a Facebook post advertising waitress positions in Singapore.
She met with an agent to arrange work permits but was instead forced into a vehicle in March 2022. Her captors drove her through Thailand via Mae Sot in Tak Province and smuggled her across a natural border crossing into Myanmar, where she was taken to KK Park in Myawaddy, Karen State—a known hub for cyber scam operations.
Years of Abuse and Exploitation
For three years, Miss Lam was held without access to phones or outside contact. She was forced to participate in investment fraud schemes and occasionally work as a translator. When she failed to successfully defraud victims, guards beat her with water pipes on at least 10 occasions.
She was later sold to another compound, Huanya Park. In June 2025, captors moved her to a mountain location before transferring her to Tachilek, directly across the river from Mae Fah Luang District in Thailand’s Chiang Rai Province.
Her captors then contacted her family, demanding 200,000 baht ($6,200) for her release. The desperate family reached out to Mirror Foundation, which coordinated with Thai authorities to negotiate with Myanmar officials.
Safe Return and Recovery
Between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. on October 29, Myanmar military personnel transported Miss Lam across the Mekong River into Thailand, where she surrendered to immigration authorities.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong said she would undergo initial screening with officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, investigators, and immigration officers to confirm her status as a trafficking victim.
“Once confirmed as a victim, she will be taken to the Victim Screening and Services Center in Chiang Rai Province for recovery and reflection, which typically takes 1-15 days depending on mental and physical condition,” he explained.
The senior officer expressed confidence in a quick resolution. “I believe this case won’t take long—perhaps 1-2 days for initial screening. Formal evaluation will follow with psychologists and social workers. Once officially confirmed as a victim, we’ll inform her of her protection rights and contact the Malaysian Embassy to arrange repatriation,” Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong said.
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