Family Pleads for Help for Thai Man Missing in Poipet Scam Ring

Pictures courtesy of Thaitabloid

Relatives of a 20-year-old Thai man have appealed directly to the national police chief for urgent help after he went missing, believed to have been trafficked across the border and forced to work in a scam operation in Poipet, Cambodia. The family says he has been out of contact for days, raising fears that his life may be in danger and that every minute is critical.

The case came to public attention on 9 January 2026, when grieving relatives submitted a formal complaint at the Royal Thai Police headquarters. They asked the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police to intervene personally and issue urgent orders to locate the missing man, citing concerns that standard procedures may not move quickly enough given the risks involved.

According to the family, the missing man is Mr Thanachart Yakongkho, aged 20. He was reportedly lured by a mysterious network offering easy work and high income without educational requirements, before leaving home on the evening of 4 January 2026 and disappearing shortly afterwards.

Earlier, on 7 January 2026, Mr Surin Mahayot, aged 58 and the victim’s uncle, filed a missing person report with investigators at Hang Chat Police Station in Lampang province. The complaint stated that Mr Thanachart had been persuaded through informal contacts and misleading job promises, a pattern increasingly linked to cross-border criminal networks.

Relatives said Mr Thanachart made brief contact on 5 January, but communication then abruptly stopped under suspicious circumstances. Since that time, all attempts to reach him have failed, heightening fears that he may be held against his will.

The family believes the circumstances match known cases in which Thai nationals are trafficked to neighbouring countries and forced to work in cybercrime and scam centres. Reports from similar cases have described victims being threatened, assaulted, or detained if they refuse to comply with orders from criminal groups.

Police have confirmed that the case has been registered as a missing person investigation and reported up the chain of command. However, the family said they could not afford to wait, insisting that any delay could prove fatal and therefore decided to seek direct action from the police chief.

They have requested immediate coordination with Interpol, security agencies and international cooperation units to trace the victim’s whereabouts. The family said hopes of resolving the case locally were fading, prompting their decision to escalate the matter.

Thaitabloid reported that relatives also issued a warning to the public, especially young people and informal workers, not to trust overseas job offers promising unusually high pay. They said such offers may conceal human trafficking operations that turn aspirations into cross-border nightmares.

Key Takeaways

• A 20-year-old Thai man is missing, believed trafficked to Poipet and forced into scam work.

• His family has appealed directly to the national police chief for urgent intervention.

• The case highlights ongoing risks linked to deceptive overseas job offers.

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thaitabloid 2026-01-10