Authorities in Thailand have assured Hongkongers that the country remains a safe destination following a spate of human-trafficking cases linked to notorious scam farms along its border with Myanmar.
The Thai consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday also pledged to cooperate with the Hong Kong government and private bodies to address concerns and coordinate with agencies in the country to follow up on any requests.
In a statement on Wednesday, the consulate expressed its deep regret that many people had fallen victim to scam centres.
“The Royal Thai Consulate-General understands that the incident has raised concern about the safety among Hong Kong travellers as trafficking and scamming operations use Thailand as a transit point to carry out illegal activities across its border with neighbouring countries,” it wrote.
“However, I would like to assure that Thailand remains a safe destination for all international visitors since none of the victims are tourists.”
The consulate said it had taken significant steps to enhance measures to tackle transnational crime and human trafficking to help reassure international tourists about their safety.
It said the Thai government had launched a multilingual “Tourist Police” mobile application and strengthened border controls by deploying both military and police along the eastern and western borders across 14 provinces, among other measures.
