CHIANG RAI – On Friday, police in Chiang Rai city responded to a report from a local convenience store employee that a group of men had been sitting outside their shop for an extended period seemed suspicious.
When police officers arrived at the scene to speak with the group, who turned out to be Chinese nationals unable to communicate in Thai.
The police requested their passports and any documents permitting their stay in Thailand, as well as identification, but none of the 18 men in the group were able to provide any paperwork.
They told officers they had been staying at a resort in Tha Sai subdistrict, in Mueang Chiang Rai City. The group admitted to crossing into Thailand illegally from Myanmar, avoiding official checkpoints and border controls.
Police escorted all 18 individuals to the local 191 patrol centre for processing. Each person was informed of the charges against them and their legal rights. The group will be handed over to the Immigration police to continue with the case under Thai Immigration law.
Many Chinese nationals crossing borders illegally are drawn by job offers, often tied to scams or illegal jobs in online fraud, gambling, or trafficking networks based in Myanmar’s border areas, especially around Tachileik.
These regions are often run by armed groups or militias like the Karen National Army instead of the Myanmar government. This results in lawless zones where crime rings do well. Some Chinese nationals leave Myanmar for Thailand to avoid these risky areas, especially during political unrest or security crackdowns.
The border between Thailand and Myanmar is over 2,400 kilometres long and hard to monitor, especially in isolated places like Chiang Rai.
Natural crossings, such as the Sai or Mekong Rivers, are popular routes for illegal entry, usually organized by smugglers or criminal groups. Long-tail boats often carry people across the Mekong to spots like Ban Pak Hang Wiang in Chiang Saen.
Chinese and Thai gangs, and sometimes corrupt officials, organize these crossings. Smugglers often charge high prices, for example, 15,000 baht per trip, working closely with local drivers and boat operators.
Official crossings like Mae Sai-Tachileik need permits or visas, which many people do not have. This leads many to use unofficial trails or “natural borders” to avoid immigration checks.
