BANGKOK, THAILAND – The Immanuel Foundation in Cambodia reported finding the body of 26-year-old Thai national Suda Chonlaket after her alleged killing at a fraud centre in Poipet.
The discovery on Saturday intensified concern in Bangkok over Thai citizens coerced into scam operations along the Cambodia border. The Immanuel Foundation (IMF) said it located Suda’s body at a temple in Cambodia, where cremation had been planned before the foundation intervened and transferred her remains to the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.
Family search led to discovery
The family of Suda Chonlaket, from Phangnga province, had repeatedly requested official help to locate her. Thai authorities received reports that she had been forced to work in a call centre in Poipet, an area long associated with online gambling and fraud schemes. When the body was identified, it showed signs of abuse according to statements from relatives and the foundation.
Alleged torture before death
Family members and the foundation said Suda’s supervisors punished her for failing to meet a daily target of 100,000 baht. She was forced to perform 1,000 to 2,000 squats until collapsing. Attempts by her captors to revive her using electric shocks were fatal.
“She was punished because she did not reach the money limit – after that, she was dead.”
said a representative of the Immanuel Foundation.
Government aid and criticism
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security provided financial support to Suda’s family, including care for her bedridden mother. Officials indicated further assistance was being arranged both domestically and in coordination with Cambodia.
Relatives, however, accused local agencies of failing to act swiftly. They also reported that Suda’s husband had been kidnapped and remained missing.
More victims in Poipet
According to Immanuel Foundation estimates, over 100 Thai nationals were still being held in the same Poipet facility. At least five Thais had died in recent months, while the bodies of three victims were still awaiting repatriation. The organization warned that Poipet’s casino complexes served as fronts for transnational crime networks.
Calls for government action
A Fair Party lawmaker on Friday urged Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration, led by the Bhumjaithai Party, to activate bilateral rescue mechanisms agreed at previous ASEAN summits. The lawmaker called for government-led operations instead of relying solely on volunteer groups to bring home affected citizens.
- Over 100 Thais allegedly detained in Poipet scam centres
- At least five confirmed deaths in recent months
- Foundation demands bilateral rescue coordination
Suda Chonlaket’s death underscored a rising cross-border crisis for Thai migrant workers, exposing widespread exploitation in Cambodia’s illegal call-centre industry. The Thai government now faces mounting pressure to secure the release of nationals trapped in similar camps and to curb the regional trafficking networks behind the abuse.