An 18-year-old man has complained to the authorities after he was lured to work for a call centre scam in a Cambodian border town before managing to escape and report the crime.
The man, only identified as Surasak, fled and sought protection from the Justice Ministry with the help of an emergency response webpage called Sai Mai Tong Rod (Sai Mai District Must Survive) founded by Ekkapob Luengprasert.
He said he fears for his safety since escaping from the call centre gang based in Cambodia's Poipet opposite Sa Kaeo province. He was taken to the ministry yesterday by Mr Ekkapob, where he met Thanakrit Jitta-areerat, the justice minister's secretary, who agreed to take up his case.
Mr Surasak said he had been looking for work since early last year when he stumbled upon an advert online for a job in Poipet promising a high monthly salary of 40,000 baht.
In September he travelled to Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo where he was picked up by a Thai man who escorted him along a natural trail across the border to Poipet. There, he was placed in a building where he met 100 other Thais who were similarly lured by the call centre.
In the building, which doubled as an office, Mr Surasak said he also saw foreign nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Five people were made to share a room.
Those lured to work were put in call-centre "stations". They were told to pretend to be officials from law enforcement agencies such as the police or the Department of Special Investigation and call people in Thailand.
The victims would be told they were in trouble with the law and must pay a bribe to settle the case.
"Each day, victims would transfer 2-3 million baht to the gang," Mr Surasak said.