Injured Russian woman flees across border to seek help from Chiang Rai police

A Russian woman sought aid from Thai police after fleeing into Chiang Rai to escape physical assault in Myanmar, on August 9, according to reports. The 19-year-old, identified as Mariia Tsygankova, was found with injuries to her arms and legs at a supermarket car park in Mae Sai. Police, who were alerted by officers from the Mae Sai Police Station, took her to Mae Sai Hospital for medical treatment.

Tsygankova claimed she had traveled to China for work before arriving in Thailand, where she then went on to Yangon for a job opportunity. She later stated that she was taken from Yangon to Tachileik, a town near the border with Myanmar, where she was assaulted and decided to escape into Thailand. A Thai pickup truck driver reportedly assisted her during her journey.

Tsygankova's account did not provide further details about the job she had traveled to Myanmar for, but she did express a desire to return to Russia and contact her mother. Police suspect that Tsygankova may have been recruited by a call center scam network in Myanmar and assaulted after refusing to follow instructions, as Tachileik is an area where such operations have been targeted.

Police are collaborating with the Tourist Police to review security camera footage in hopes of identifying and locating the pickup driver who transported Tsygankova to the supermarket. They also plan to contact the Russian Embassy for her family to be informed about her condition.