SANGKHLABURI, Thailand – A severely injured Chinese man, found in the jungle with deep wounds to his ankles, is believed to have escaped a notorious fraud center in Myanmar where he was allegedly chained.
Discovered with gaping wounds in Mae Tiew Forest
Late in the evening on June 10, around 7:00 PM, local residents discovered the emaciated 33-year-old in the Mae Tiew forest, in the Nong Lu sub-district. The man was at the end of his strength and exhibited deep, visible injuries.
The trail of violence was unmistakable: his ankles were so severely injured that officials suspect marks from chains. The villagers did not hesitate, pulling him from the thicket and bringing him to safety before notifying the village headman, Sanan Kamsuk.
No papers, no working phone
Sanan Kamsuk immediately raised the alarm and contacted the district chief, Suriyasak Muean-uam. He coordinated a large-scale operation involving the military, border police, and volunteer defense forces stationed at the nearby Nam Koek checkpoint.
Upon searching the man, authorities found no identification documents. The only item he carried was a mobile phone, but its battery was dead and it could not be turned on. An identity check was impossible at the scene.
Handed over to Sangkhlaburi police custody
The officials provided first aid and made temporary arrangements for the refugee’s numerous wounds. Only then was a preliminary, superficial interrogation possible before proceeding.
The exhausted Chinese national was officially charged with illegal entry and illegal overstay in Thailand. The uniformed officers handed him over to the investigators at the Sangkhlaburi police station, where all legal proceedings will now be initiated.
Escape via the Three Pagodas Pass
Investigators are reconstructing the alleged escape route: the discovery site is only seven to eight kilometers from the Three Pagodas Pass. From there, the man is said to have made his way through the difficult border area.
Thai authorities have strengthened the suspicion that he fled from the Myanmar border town of Payathonsu. Located opposite Sangkhlaburi, the place is considered a notorious breeding ground for online fraud centers and forced labor.
Part of a desperate mass escape from hell?
The current case is not isolated. Already on May 31, three Chinese nationals appeared at a resort near the border and asked for help. On June 2, another Chinese man with the same escape background was discovered.
All four men were traveling without documents. Investigators now firmly assume that they escaped from the same fraud complex in Payathonsu and must now be considered a connected group, along with the 33-year-old found in the forest.
Two recaptured, ten escaped
According to earlier reports, a group of a total of twelve Chinese nationals is said to have dared the dangerous breakout from Payathonsu. However, the border crossing ended differently for the men.
Two of them are said to have been recaptured and returned to the center. The remaining ten individuals, however, managed the daring border crossing into Thailand.
Chains, mistreatment, and dead batteries
The injuries of the latest arrival in the group paint a grim picture of the detention conditions. Officials assume from the wounds that he was fixed with iron chains for a longer period and had to endure severe mistreatment.
Since the man possesses no identification documents and his mobile phone battery was dead, his identity remains the central mystery. Amarin Media reports that officials are now meticulously investigating his background and possible connections to the large-scale fraud operations along the border.