The Thai government announced it is studying the possibility of building a wall along part of its border with Cambodia to combat illegal crossings and address the growing issue of cybercrime operations in Southeast Asia. This comes as part of a broader multinational effort to dismantle scam centers that have been responsible for large-scale financial fraud, often involving trafficked individuals. The crackdown, which spans Thailand’s porous borders with Myanmar and Cambodia, has uncovered networks that have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people, according to the United Nations.

At the weekend, Thai authorities received 119 Thai nationals from Cambodia after a major raid in Poipet, which led to the rescue of over 215 individuals from a scam compound. The Thai government spokesperson, Jirayu Houngsub, commented that while the idea of building a border wall is under study, the specifics of how and where it would be implemented have yet to be determined. The proposed wall would focus on a 55-kilometer stretch between Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province and Poipet, which is currently only secured by razor wire.

The move to fortify Thailand's border follows a series of incidents highlighting the severity of online fraud operations in the region, including the recent abduction and rescue of Chinese actor Wang Xing from a scam center in Myanmar. Thailand is also working with international embassies to assist the repatriation of over 7,000 individuals, mostly from China, who are stuck in Myanmar, awaiting safe passage back home. The Thai government continues to face growing pressure to address these trafficking operations, with estimates suggesting that up to 300,000 people have been involved in scam compounds in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region.

---