Myanmar Police Seize 40 Laptops, 75 Phones in Raid on Thai-Run Scam Operation
Myanmar Police Seize 40 Laptops, 75 Phones in Raid on Thai-Run Scam Operation
CHIANG RAI, November 5, 2026 — Myanmar police have arrested 83 Thai nationals during a raid on a hotel in Tachileik, a border town opposite Thailand’s Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai province, over alleged involvement in online fraud and call centre scam operations.
The 83 detainees, comprising 42 men and 41 women, were arrested during an operation on October 31, according to Myanmar local news outlet Tachileik Like Online News. They were taken to Tachileik Police Station to face charges related to alleged online fraud and call centre scam activities.
Police reportedly targeted the hotel in San Sai, Tachileik, after receiving information that an unauthorised online operation was being conducted inside the premises.
Computers and Mobile Phones Seized
During the raid, officers searched the hotel’s third and fourth floors, where they found the Thai nationals working at computers.
Police seized 40 laptops and 75 mobile phones as part of the operation.
The hotel is located approximately 300 metres from the Sai River, which separates Tachileik in Myanmar from Mae Sai district in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province.
Tachileik Remains a Concern for Scam Operations
Tachileik has reportedly been associated with online gambling and scam operations for the past four to five years. Criminal networks have used the border town as a base, although increased enforcement by Chinese and Myanmar authorities in 2024 and 2025 reportedly prompted some operations to relocate.
Thai nationals, particularly younger people with computer and internet skills, have also reportedly crossed into Myanmar for employment in online gambling operations.
In early 2025, Thailand began restricting fuel, electricity and internet supplies to several locations in Myanmar in an effort to combat cross-border scam networks. Tachileik was among the areas affected.
Myanmar authorities have continued conducting operations against online gambling and scam networks in the border region.
