Authorities ordered help for four Chinese victims who were captured by a human trafficking gang near the Moei River, forced into a pickup truck intended for transfer to Myanmar. Fortunately, Mae Sot local administration managed to rescue and send them back to China in time.
At 14:00 on 11 Mar 2026, reporters visited Village No. 2, Tha Sai Luat Subdistrict, Mae Sot District, Tak Province, near the intersection leading to Tha Phutsa, about 500 meters from the Moei River. A white pickup truck involved in human trafficking was seen stopped at the intersection, where a man got out and called for help, as captured in a video. Reporters went to the scene and asked nearby residents, who were unaware of the incident since it happened at night.
Reporters followed up by interviewing Mr. Kanpong Phiphatmontri, Mae Sot District Chief, who explained that the incident occurred on 9 Mar 2026 at around 21:30. Mr. Taweechai Jakkupithaya, village headman of Village No. 2, Rim Moei, Tha Sai Luat Subdistrict, was informed by locals that they had helped four Chinese nationals—two men and two women—who had been seized by a human trafficking gang and forced into a grey Chevrolet pickup truck registered in Tak Province to be trafficked to Myanmar.
Following the report, Mr. Attawut Chancharoen, Mae Sot Deputy District Chief for Security, went to investigate and took the four Chinese victims to the Mae Sot Police Station for travel document verification. Their passports showed entry into Thailand on 6 Mar 2026 and were still valid; they had traveled from Chiang Mai. The victims expressed to the deputy chief that they did not want to stay at the police station due to safety concerns. Therefore, they were taken to stay at the Mae Sot Territorial Defense Volunteer Company, where their identities were recorded, and coordination was made with the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok.
The following day, tickets were purchased for a Mae Sot-Bangkok bus route. The victims traveled via the security checkpoint at Ban Huai Hin Fon and proceeded to Bangkok, where the embassy arranged their repatriation to China.
Mr. Kanpong Phiphatmontri stated that, based on information from the village headman, the four Chinese victims have been assisted. Investigations revealed that the vehicle's license plate is registered to a Thai individual whose name cannot yet be disclosed. The authorities are awaiting the criminal investigation officer to proceed with legal action against the perpetrators.
To prevent further offenses, measures have been implemented ordering subdistrict chiefs and village headmen along the border to strictly inspect and patrol natural routes and border areas around the clock, with a focus on nighttime hours from 18:00 to 06:00, to enable timely intervention and assistance.