Thailand, China coordinate to repatriate phone scam victims
To date, among the 260 individuals from 20 countries who have been rescued from call centres in Myanmar, 258 have been identified as trafficking victims.
Multinational victims of scam centres, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, travel on army trucks after they were sent to Thailand, in Phop Phra district, Tak province, February 12, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
Bangkok (VNA) 🐲- Thai authorities announced that from February 20-22, China has been repatriating victims of telephone scam operations who were rescued from call centres in Myawaddy in Karen state of Myanmar.
Previously, Thailand had received the victims and members of the phone scam network handed over by Myanmar.
Tak province’s Governor Chucheep Pongchai said the Thai government had agreed with Liu Zhongyi, China’s assistant minister of public security, to allow China to screen its own citizens to filter out victims from call-centre gang members, without the need for a second screening by Thai authorities.
After the screening process, the Chinese citizens will be transported by bus via the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge directly to Mae Sot airport to be flown back home, the governor added.
To date, among the 260 individuals from 20 countries who have been rescued from call centres in Myanmar, 258 have been identified as trafficking victims. According to Chucheep, many embassies have coordinated to repatriate their citizens, while Thai authorities have also prepared personnel to assist and facilitate the return of the victims./.
An estimated 220,000 people were estimated to have been tricked into working for romance-investment schemes, crypto fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling in Myanmar and Cambodia in 2023.
Currently, SIM card operating boxes can be imported without applying for authorities' permission, and they are used to provide call centre services for enterprises.
The Asean National Police (ASEANAPOL) will prioritise the elimination of scam call centres linked to trafficking in persons and forced criminal activities as part of its regional action plan this year, Director for Plans and Programmes of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat Police Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Nguyen Huu Ngoc has said.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
