October 29, 2025 | 06:39 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - India will repatriate 500 of its citizens from Thailand following a raid by the Myanmar military on a notorious scam hub within its territory. The military action caused workers from various countries to flee across the border into Thailand, said Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
More than 1,500 people from 28 countries have crossed into Thailand since the crackdown began at KK Park and continued until Tuesday night, according to the government of Tak, the border province.
"Nearly 500 Indians are at Mae Sot," Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, as quoted by CNA. "The Indian government will send a plane to take them back directly."
The sprawling complexes where online scammers operate, targeting people with romance scams and internet fraud, have rapidly proliferated along the Myanmar border. This growth is a consequence of the lax government control in the region during the civil war, which was sparked by the 2021 coup.
Since last week, one of the most infamous centers, KK Park, has been the focus of crackdowns, prompting hundreds of people to flee across the border river to the Thai city of Mae Sot. The recent unrest follows an investigation this month that revealed the rapid construction of border scam hubs, despite widely publicized crackdowns conducted as recently as February.
Many people working at these scam factories claim they were trafficked to the centers. However, analysts suggest that there are also workers who willingly went after being offered attractive salaries.
Anutin did not specify whether the Indian citizens were being treated as criminals or victims, and the Indian embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Experts note that the Myanmar military has long turned a blind eye to scam hubs that benefit its militia allies, who are key collaborators in their fight against insurgents.
However, the junta is now under pressure to shut down the scam operations from its military supporter, China, which is concerned about its own citizens being involved in and targeted by the scams.
A previous crackdown in February led to about 7,000 workers being repatriated, and prompted Thailand to impose cross-border internet blockades in an effort to help eradicate these facilities.
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