The government is preparing for a possible influx of foreigners released from the clutches of scam gangs in Myanmar after Thailand cut off all power, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Wednesday.
He said Thailand had reports of gangs releasing trapped workers and sending them to Thailand, but Thailand could not accept them all.
“If their native countries will not accept them, we will not receive them,” Mr Phumtham said. Thailand would not set up a refugee camp for foreigners coming from scam centres.
“We will do the best we can, but we cannot predict their responses and decisions,” he said.
The deputy prime minister, who is also defence minister, said the Thai government had already deployed security forces along the border to deal with any possible influx of people released from the call centres.
Mr Phumtham said he was informed on Tuesday that the Myanmar government would send 53 foreigners abused by scammers to Phop Phra district in Tak province on Wednesday, because the Myanmar government could not afford to take care of them.
He said the foreigners included Bangladeshis, Ethiopians, Kenyans and Filipinos. Thai officials would question them about their experiences or possible involvement in trafficking, and check their background profiles.
If they were not scammers, it would take three weeks to a month to arrange and send them back to their home countries.
The Thai government had told Myanmar that Thailand would relax sanctions on provision of internet services, fuel and electricity if Myanmar proved it was free of scam centres, he said.
“We are on the right path. Threats to block imports from us do not concern us,” Mr Phumtham said.
