The Thai military said Monday it has uncovered extensive evidence of transnational online fraud at a Cambodian border compound seized during last year’s clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, highlighting the scale of criminal networks operating in the region.
Senior Thai military officials presented the findings during a briefing for reporters and foreign delegates in Surin province, near the disputed frontier. The site, known as the O’Smach complex, was taken over by Thai forces during fighting that erupted along the border before a ceasefire was reached in December.
According to the Thai military, the O’Smach complex housed thousands of people, many of whom were victims of human trafficking forced to conduct online scams under threat of punishment.
During a guided tour, soldiers showed journalists a bomb-damaged six-story building inside the compound that had been occupied by Thai troops late last year. Inside, officials said they found large volumes of documents, including lists of potential scam targets, contact details, and prepared dialogue scripts used to deceive victims.
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Lieutenant General Teeranan Nandhakwang, director-general of the Royal Thai Army’s Directorate of Intelligence, said the military decided to make the site public to underscore its criminal use.
“The reason we are showing this place today is that we want the world to see how it’s being used as a criminal base against humanity,” Teeranan told reporters.
Cambodian authorities rejected Thailand’s characterization of the compound. Touch Sokhak, spokesperson for Cambodia’s Interior Ministry, told Reuters that Thailand had used allegations of scam centers as justification for military attacks.
Sokhak said Cambodia is already conducting a nationwide crackdown on online fraud and has pledged to eradicate scam operations before April, according to official statements.
The United States has previously identified O’Smach as a base for scam activity, citing evidence of forced criminality and trafficking, adding international weight to concerns raised by Thailand.
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Thailand and Cambodia ended weeks of intense border clashes in late December after agreeing to a ceasefire—the second truce in recent months—bringing an end to the worst fighting between the two neighbors in years.
During the hostilities, Thai forces struck several casino and entertainment complexes along the border, alleging they doubled as scam hubs, weapons storage facilities, and launch points for attacks.
Military officials said evidence recovered from O’Smach highlights the sophistication of scam operations in the region. Among the items seized were 871 SIM cards used for anonymous international calls, dozens of smartphones, and counterfeit police uniforms and insignia.
Reporters visiting the site also saw rooms designed to resemble police offices from multiple countries, including Brazil, China, and Australia, allegedly used to impersonate law enforcement agencies and defraud victims abroad.
Parts of Southeast Asia—particularly border regions linking Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia—have emerged in recent years as global centers for online fraud, generating billions of dollars annually, according to international law enforcement agencies and reporting by Reuters and the BBC.