October 23, 2025 — Reports from the Thai–Myanmar border reveal that hundreds of Chinese, Thai, and other foreign nationals fled across the Moei River from KK Park, a well-known online scam hub near Myawaddy, after Myanmar military forces coordinated with the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) to clear the area.
According to witnesses, BGF opened the gates of KK Park and began transporting groups of workers and scam operators by trucks toward Myawaddy, while others fled by crossing the river into Thailand. As of October 23, Thai authorities reported that more than 1,667 people — including nationals from Thailand, China, India, Nepal, Kenya, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Pakistan — had crossed into Thai territory.
Thai security, immigration, and administrative agencies in Mae Sot, Tak Province, are working around the clock to screen and document the new arrivals. Limited personnel and budget, particularly for emergency food supplies, have added pressure on local authorities.
A Thai woman from Trat Province, identified as “Jum” (alias), said she was lured to KK Park by an agency offering a high-paying job with good working conditions. “They said there would be days off and no pressure, but it was all lies. When I got there, I saw people being punished if they didn’t meet targets. I was terrified — we had no choice but to obey,” she said.
Another victim, “Jit” (alias), recounted that she thought she was being hired for entertainment work but was instead forced to run scams targeting foreigners in Africa, Dubai, and Canada. “We used fake profiles with AI-generated faces to trick men into sending money. Those who didn’t meet their targets were punished or transferred elsewhere,” she said.
Some escapees told reporters that several people drowned while trying to cross the fast-flowing Moei River. Their bodies have not yet been recovered.
By nightfall, smoke was seen rising from several buildings inside KK Park, visible from the Thai side. A local source said that at around 6:00 p.m., buildings used for document storage were set on fire. The Myanmar army reportedly instructed BGF to clear parts of the compound to prepare for footage that would be aired on Myanmar state media — showcasing a “successful anti-scam operation” ahead of the ASEAN Summit scheduled for October 26–28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
However, Colonel Chanakarn Saengsri, commander of Thailand’s Task Force Rachamanu under the Naresuan Force, told reporters that preliminary reports indicated BGF had set off explosives at three sites within KK Park, likely targeting scam-related buildings — not drone bombings by the Myanmar military, as some reports claimed.
Local sources also confirmed that BGF destroyed several scammer bases in preparation for a joint inspection on October 24 by Myanmar forces and a Chinese delegation, viewed as part of a joint Myanmar–China effort to display a crackdown on cross-border crime before the ASEAN Summit.
Meanwhile, the Tak Provincial Border Command Center announced the establishment of a special operations unit to manage the influx of foreign nationals entering Mae Sot. The unit, chaired by Narongchai Jindaphan, Acting Tak Deputy Governor, includes representatives from immigration, social development, health, and security agencies.
The task force is responsible for screening, identifying potential victims of human trafficking, and referring them to Thailand’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Those not identified as trafficking victims will face legal proceedings for illegal entry before being handed over to immigration authorities for deportation.
The border command center also confirmed that the Tak Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security is providing food and drinking water for 755 people as of October 23, pending further processing by relevant agencies.
This is a translation of original Thai article https://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=44222
