Nearly 700 people flee to Thailand after Myanmar scam centre raid

Sign up now: Get STs newsletters delivered to your inbox

Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stuck in limbo at a compound inside the KK Park, a fraud factory, and a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy, Myanmar, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

BANGKOK - Nearly 700 foreigners have fled Myanmar and crossed into Thailand, the Thai army said on Thursday, following a military operation against the Chinese-backed KK Park, a notorious cybercrime compound.

Thailand has detained 677 people, including 618 men and 59 women, after they crossed the border into Tak province, it said in a statement.

Myanmars military has taken control of KK Park and is inspecting the area, driving a large number of people into Thailand, the statement said.

The people are now undergoing legal procedures and screening, and Thai authorities have also made additional detention facilities available in case existing spaces become insufficient, the army said.

All actions are in line with legal and humanitarian principles, it said, adding that it was working closely with local security agencies to maintain order along the Thai-Myanmar border.

The group consists primarily of individuals from India and China, with smaller numbers from Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia and