MAE SOT – Tak border police were on alert as foreign scammers fled a heavy Myanmar crackdown and poured into Mae Sot. Another large group has slipped across the Moei River into Mae Sot after Myanmar troops stepped up raids.
Over 50 exhausted migrants, some carrying only mats and pillows and others dragging suitcases, were found secretly crossing the Moei River into Thailand. Most are from India and African countries, with a separate group of 15 Chinese nationals.
On Wednesday, soldiers from the Ratchamanu Task Force, together with Mae Sot district officials, Tak immigration police, and Mae Sot police, were out on patrol in high‑risk areas along the Thai‑Myanmar border.
Locals alerted them to a group of foreigners trying to cross the Moei River near the so‑called “70‑rai” area behind Mae Tao village, Moo 1, Tha Sai Luat subdistrict, Mae Sot district. The team moved in to check straight away.
At the forested 70‑rai strip beside the riverbank, officers found a group of dark‑skinned foreign nationals. They were carrying bags and personal belongings. Some clutched rolled-up mats and pillows as they slipped across the Moei River from Myawaddy province in Myanmar and came ashore at Mae Sot, Tak, in a steady stream like an “ant army”.
Officials identified themselves and signalled everyone to stop. After checking, they counted 39 people, most of them from Pakistan and various African nations. All of them cooperated and behaved as if they were turning themselves in, without any resistance. Officers then provided drinking water and basic food in line with humanitarian practice.
While checks on the first group were still going on, a fresh alert came in. Another 15 Chinese nationals had just crossed the Moei River near the back of Mae Kon Ken village, close to the “Moei Curve” cattle pens in Mahawan subdistrict, Mae Sot. Officers moved in, detained them, and later combined both groups for a total of 54 people, who were then taken to Tak Immigration for detailed questioning.
With the help of interpreters, the initial questioning showed that all 54 migrants had previously slipped into KK Park, a large Chinese‑run grey zone and hub for scam operations in Myawaddy, Myanmar. After the Myanmar military surrounded KK Park and bombed several buildings, these scammers scattered and hid in different parts of Myawaddy.
When they saw a chance, each of them decided to risk crossing the Moei River to escape and hand themselves in to Thai authorities. They said they had almost no food left, and living conditions were harsh. While working in KK Park, they were forced to run online scams targeting people around the world. Anyone who refused to work was beaten.
All of the foreigners are now in custody and will face legal action in Thailand. Security forces have also stepped up deployments in all five border districts of Tak province to block and arrest more scammers fleeing from KK Park and from Shwe Kokko, which are both under heavy and ongoing pressure from Myanmar troops and allied forces.
The continued crackdown on scam compounds in Myawaddy is expected to push even more foreign workers to flee. Many are likely to try to escape death and arrest by crossing into Tak province. Thai agencies say they are fully prepared to handle the impact of this situation and are closely watching the border.
