CHIANG RAI – Myanmar security authorities raided a well-known hotel in Tachileik and detained almost 400 foreign nationals linked to an online scam operation. Officers found many of them seated at computers, with large numbers of mobile phones and Starlink satellite internet equipment on site.
Officials along the Thailand-Myanmar border near Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, said the arrests happened before dawn on March 3, following an investigation into suspected illegal business activity at the property.
Myanmar officers searched Tachileik International Hotel, located on Mae Khong Road in central Tachileik, directly across from Mae Sai District in Chiang Rai. Investigators said the hotel was operating without proper authorization.
During the search, officers found the business lacked a valid operating license. They also discovered 393 non-Myanmar nationals working inside the building.
Detainees by nationality
Authorities reported the following breakdown:
- Chinese nationals: 297 total (289 men, 8 women)
- Vietnamese nationals: 57 total (46 men, 11 women)
- Malaysian nationals: 38 total (31 men, 7 women)
- Filipino nationals: 1 total (female)
Equipment seized at Tachileik Hotel
At the time of the raid, many detainees were working at computer stations connected through Starlink satellite internet. Officers also found more than 233 mobile phones, along with other related connectivity devices.
Myanmar authorities seized multiple items as evidence, including:
- 174 computers
- 70 CPU units
- 9 Starlink satellite receiver sets (reported to be used to avoid standard internet monitoring routes)
- Mobile phones and additional connection equipment
Myanmar officials are now sorting each person’s alleged offenses. After that, they plan to coordinate with the detainees’ home countries for repatriation.
Reports from the area say scam groups have set up operations in border towns near Thailand. As a result, since early 2025, Thailand has restricted supplies of fuel, electricity, and internet signals to major target locations.
Tachileik, which borders Mae Sai, remains one of the key areas under scrutiny. On the Myanmar side, authorities have also continued efforts to bring hotels, entertainment venues, and casinos into a regulated system, aiming to prevent call center gangs and scam networks from using them as bases.
