Detained Thais say they were attracted by high wages and not being held against their will
PUBLISHED : 1 Mar 2025 at 13:56
A total of 119 Thais were among 230 foreigners reported freed from a scam call centre in Poipet, Cambodia, as authorities continue their crackfown on cybercrimes.
The Cambodian National Police General Directorate released a statement after conducting raids on Feb 22 and 23 at two locations in Poipet city in Banteay Meanchey province, according to a Khmer Times article published on Saturday.
Of the 230 individuals found, 123 claimed they were Thai nationals, but only 119 were confirmed to be from Thailand. The others included citizens of Myanmar and Laos.
The 119 Thais — 61 men and 58 women — admitted to entering Cambodia illegally to engage in online crimes, attracted by high wages. They said they were not deceived into joining the organisation and were not being held against their will.
None have sought assistance from the Thai or Cambodian governments.
All of the Thai detainees are set to be repatriated.
The raid followed a three-month investigation into Chinese-operated call centres in Cambodia.