The major breaking news out of the Mekong subregion in recent weeks is the supposed release and pending repatriation of nearly 10,000 foreign nationals from scam compounds around Myawaddy, a town in southeastern Myanmar that sits on the border with Thailand. In the first batch of 260 repatriations, a stunningContinue Reading
Rarely do incidents of misbehaving foreigners in Thailand – something too numerous to count given the sheer number of tourists and expats in the country – ignite conversations that have broader security and diplomatic implications. Recent reports of ill-mannered conduct by some Israeli nationals, however, appear to be among theContinue Reading
Thai and Cambodian police have rescued 215 people from a suspected online scamming operation along the countries’ shared border, marking a possible expansion of the Thai-led crackdown on scam syndicates operating in the Mekong region. According to a Reuters report, Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub told the media yesterday thatContinue Reading
Yesterday, the Thai army announced that it was coordinating an effort to repatriate around 260 people believed to have been victims of human trafficking, after their rescue from scam centers in Myanmar. A report by the Associated Press quoted army sources as saying that those rescued were sent across theContinue Reading
Thailand today suspended electricity, internet services, and fuel supplies to three regions of neighboring Myanmar in an effort to combat the online scamming centers that have been established there. Speaking to the press yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that the alarming spike in scamming operationsContinue Reading
January passed with mixed fortunes for Thailand’s leaders. The good news was that the country, despite its large trade surplus with the United States, was not slapped with tariffs by the second Trump administration. Among the bad news was the growing notoriety of Thailand as a gateway to the transnational,Continue Reading
