Thailand, China to set up coordination centre to combat scam call networks

Thailand and China will work together to combat fast-growing networks of illegal call centres along Thailand's borders with Myanmar and Cambodia.

Phone scam gang members, including Chinese and Myanmar nationals, front row, were arrested following a raid on a pool villa in Doi Saket district, Chiang Mai. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)
Phone scam gang members, including Chinese and Myanmar nationals, front row, were arrested following a raid on a pool villa in Doi Saket district, Chiang Mai. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)

Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand and China will work together to combat fast-growing networks of illegal call centres along Thailand's borders with Myanmar and Cambodia, often staffed by trafficked workers, that aim to defraud people in phone and online scams.

Southeast Asia, especially border areas between Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, has become a hub for telecom and other online fraud since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the United Nations, which said hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked to work in scam centres.

According to Thai police, a coordination centre would be set up at the national police headquarters in Bangkok and Chinese authorities plan to set up another one in Thailand's Mae Sot district, which borders Myanmar's Myawaddy, a major hub for the scam call centres.

Earlier, on January 21, Chinese state media reported that officials from China, Myanmar, and Thailand had agreed to eliminate telecom fraud rings operating in Myanmar at a meeting held in Kunming, China./.

VNA

See more

At the explosion site (Photo: Facebook/Anwar Ibrahim)

Malaysia investigates gas pipeline explosion

The incident destroyed 78 houses and 10 shop lots, while also damaging 237 other houses and numerous vehicles. An estimated 364 people were affected, including 63 injured.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra listens to a briefing by a team of Israeli rescuers who are part of an international contingent working at the collapsed building site in Bangkok. (Photo: Bangkok Post)

Thailand works to restore global trust after Myanmar quake

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra underscored Thailand's commitment to restoring its image and ensuring public confidence, noting that a thorough investigation into the project's approval, design and construction materials is underway.

Thailand speeds up investigation into Bangkok building collapse

Thailand speeds up investigation into Bangkok building collapse

The SAO building, valued at 2.1 billion THB (61.4 million USD), had been under construction for approximately five years and was nearing completion. It was the only building in Bangkok to collapse as a result of the powerful earthquake in Myanmar.

Delegates at the event (Photo: kpl.gov.la)

Laos aims for sustainable infrastructure development

Laos' Enabling Environment Roadmap for Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM EE) outlines strategies for the effective management of public infrastructure, including roads, schools, and hospitals, with a focus on resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Strong earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia (Photo: scienceexchange.caltech.edu)

Strong earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake occurred at 5:15 pm, with its epicenter located 93 km northeast of Indonesia's Maluku Barat Daya district and a hypocenter at a depth of 157 km beneath the seabed. No tsunami warning has been issued.

Rescue forces are racing against time to search for victims of the earthquake that hit Myanmar on March 28, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Myanmar earthquake: Devastation’s full extend is not clear

Myanmar's state media quoted military government leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as saying the earthquake death toll had reached 2,065, with more than 3,900 injured and some 270 missing. Aid agencies forecast these numbers will rise significantly due to information blackouts in remote areas.

File - Passengers pass through the automatic immigration checkpoint (auto gate) at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, January 3, 2024. (Photo: ANTARA)

Indonesia operates auto gates at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport

According to Johanes Fanny Satria Cahya Aprianto, head of the airport's immigration office, immigration services are fully prepared for the surge in passengers. Currently the office has deployed 531 personnel to ensure smooth and efficient immigration processing at the airport.