SURIN, Thailand – Thai military officials led international observers and media through a captured scam network compound covering more than 500 rai near the Chong Chom border crossing in Surin province on Monday. The press tour, led by Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sornjaidee, Director of the Joint Information Center (JIC), for members of the media and the ASEAN Observation Team (AOT), provided access to Zone A of the O Smach facility. The complex contains 157 buildings, including 29 structures identified as operational scam hubs.
Thai forces seized the area during earlier military clashes after Cambodian forces reportedly utilized the buildings as sniper positions. Under the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025, forces remain deployed along established tactical positions. Inspections revealed mock police stations equipped with foreign law enforcement uniforms, interrogation backdrops, and language scripts targeting victims in countries including China, Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and Vietnam. The complex also contained assessment rooms used to test workers on scamming techniques.
Military officials also unveiled a facility named Zhongnan Hospital, the sole medical building within the complex. Thai police officials stated the facility featured an operating room, citing reports investigating potential human organ harvesting linked to abused workers. Marking nine months of Thai military control on September 8, officials noted the site remains untouched, with structures showing significant decay, standing water, and abandoned supplies. Thai security forces have installed temporary screening at the Chong Chom border gate to prevent surveillance and cross-border provocations. (TNA)
