Seven Chinese Nationals Escape Harsh Conditions at Myanmar Call Centre, Illegally Enter Thailand
MAE SOT, THAILAND – Seven Chinese men working for a call centre gang in Myawaddy, Myanmar, crossed the border into Thailand on April 7, fleeing what they described as inhumane working conditions and severe heat after the company cut electricity and reduced their working hours.
The escape occurred near Ban Rai Don Chai, in the Mueang Tao subdistrict of Mae Sot District, Tak Province, where a joint patrol force discovered the group hiding in a forested area.
🚨 Joint Patrol Intercepts Escaped Workers
The operation was conducted by:
- Rachamanu Task Force
- Naresuan Rapid Deployment Force
- 3607th Veteran Company
- 346th Border Patrol Police Company
The seven men were discovered without passports or any legal identification. They were identified as:
- Bing Chun, 18
- Zhu Li Feng, 25
- Gao Hong Wei, 24
- He Hesni Ming, 21
- Gu Ming Zheng, 27
- Luo Chng Liang, 17
- Wu Guo Qiang, 28
🧊 Harsh Conditions Triggered Escape
Through an interpreter, the men said they had worked at a scam call centre in Karen State, Myanmar, where working conditions deteriorated rapidly following Thailand’s Three Cuts policy—a crackdown aimed at cutting off financial, technological, and recruitment access to criminal operations.
The company:
- Reduced working hours
- Cut electricity, leaving workers without air conditioning during extreme heat
- Released underperforming workers, prompting fear among the rest
Fearing they would be abandoned or further mistreated, the group decided to illegally cross the river border into Thailand.
🛃 Detained and Handed Over to Immigration Police
The men have been detained and are now in custody of the Tak Province Immigration Police. They face legal proceedings for illegal entry into Thailand.
🔍 Related Incident
On March 5, Thai Immigration Bureau officers arrested another Chinese national at the Ban Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province for attempting to enter Thailand using a forged passport, highlighting ongoing concerns about illegal border activities.
