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Thailand repatriates 300 Chinese scam suspects

Thailand repatriates 300 Chinese scam suspects

MAE SOT: More than 300 Chinese nationals linked to scam syndicates based in Myanmar were extradited to their home country from Mae Sot airport in Tak province yesterday (Jan 20).

crimeChinesetechnologyMyanmar
By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 21 January 2026 09:00 AM


Buildings destroyed by the Myanmar military are seen at KK Park, one of several scam centres in Myawaddy township, opposite Mae Sot, targeted during a operations in late 2025. Photo: Royal Thai Police

Buildings destroyed by the Myanmar military are seen at KK Park, one of several scam centres in Myawaddy township, opposite Mae Sot, targeted during a operations in late 2025. Photo: Royal Thai Police

The group are among 1,108 Chinese nationals scheduled to be returned under a four-day extradition plan, reports the Bangkok Post.

Thai, Chinese and Myanmar immigration officials brought the first group of returnees onto a chartered China Southern Airlines plane, as part of a coordinated crackdown on transnational cybercrime.

China in particular has been keeping up the pressure on Myanmar and Thailand to round up Chinese suspects to face justice back home for defrauding their countrymen out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Thousands of people, including criminal suspects and scam centre employees, have fled Myanmar since the military began targeted bombing operations at scam centres in Myawaddy township in October.

However, many more suspects are reported to have had advance notice of the strikes, giving them time to flee with their equipment and set up shop elsewhere in Myanmar.

Tak immigration officials said those repatriated yesterday had been detained at the province’s immigration detention facility.

Before departure, Thai officials conducted background checks, collected biometric and personal data and blacklisted the Chinese scammers from re-entering the country, an official said.