Thai woman with polio rescued from Cambodia call-center gang

A Thai woman with polio has escaped a human trafficking ring run by a call-center gang in Cambodia, thanks to the efforts of Thai police. Naphatsara, 23, from Chiang Rai, was lured to Cambodia under the guise of a legitimate job offer and was forced to work in a scam operation. After being trapped for several days, she was rescued and brought back to Thailand safely.

Polio patient lured by fake job offer to Cambodia

Naphatsara, who has a polio leg disability, had previously worked as an admin in Bangkok but lost her job and began searching for online work. She found a Facebook post offering an admin job in Sa Kaeo Province with a salary of 20,000 baht. After applying, she was invited to board a vehicle at a shopping mall in Lat Phrao District, Bangkok, on February 12, to travel to Sa Kaeo.

However, upon arrival in Sa Kaeo, she was taken to a shopping mall and then driven to a sugarcane plantation in a remote area. Naphatsara, struggling due to her disability, was forced to run through the field until four Cambodian men arrived to escort them to Poipet, Cambodia.

Escape from fake job offer leads to human trafficking

Once in Poipet, Naphatsara and the other victims were locked in a building used by the scammers. Their phones and ID cards were confiscated, and they were forced to scan their faces using a banking app to facilitate money transfers. Naphatsara reported seeing about 30-40 other Thai nationals in the building, some of whom attempted to escape.

On February 16, Naphatsara and the others were moved to the Grand Pailin Casino & Resort near Poipet. Using the hotel’s Wi-Fi, Naphatsara managed to contact her father and reach out to Pol Maj Gen Manop and Police Region 5 for help.

Warning about suspicious job offers and human trafficking

Naphatsara, along with five other Thai nationals, took the opportunity to escape from the casino and run through the border forest area into Thailand. Thai military personnel stationed at the border assisted them, and the group successfully crossed back into Thailand. They were later screened and fined for illegal border crossing before being allowed to return home.

Naphatsara filed a police report at Chiang Saen Police Station, detailing her experience of being trafficked and exploited in Cambodia.

Pol Maj Gen Manop expressed relief at Naphatsara’s safe return and warned the public to be cautious of online job offers that promise high salaries with minimal experience required. He emphasized that these offers are often a cover for human trafficking, as even highly educated individuals rarely receive such high salaries. He urged the public to be cautious of job schemes that lead to risky areas like the Thai-Cambodian border.

Authorities will continue to investigate the case, interview witnesses, and proceed with further legal actions as part of their efforts to combat human trafficking.