Families of 10 Thais sought help from the government as their relatives were reportedly held hostage by a call centre scam gang in Cambodia.

The alleged human trafficking victims were allegedly lured into Cambodia with the promises of high-paying jobs - only to be detained by a Chinese-run fraud syndicate based in Angkor Borei, Takeo province.

The missing Thais were named as Kanyarat Panachotchuang, 28, Kanyanee Prampila, 32, Wasita Prampila, 25, Waraporn Prampila, 25, Mookmanee Tubtimchan, 17, Suphachai Ekachan, 33, Meree Winantha, 33, Lipikar Boonpanya, 32, Jitrada Saejung, 22, and Chakkrit Jamruang, 22.

Relatives claimed the victims' phones were seized and their passwords stolen before being forced to work at the scam centre, where they were threatened with violence if they failed to meet quotas.

Desperate parents Saichon Jamruang, 49, and Waranit Thanathornwattanroj, 43, said their son Chakkrit was on a holiday with his girlfriend before he was whisked away by the suspects to Angkor Borei on September 10.

Chakkrit reportedly texted them that he was fine, but a friend alerted them he had been kidnapped.

Anxious mother Waranit said: 'We have spent more than two weeks contacting police, the Thai Embassy in Cambodia and other agencies but we were passed between offices. We don't know what to do anymore.'

They also claimed a woman called Nui charged them a 5,000-baht (115 GBP) 'coordination fee' and later demanded a 200,000 baht ransom for their son's release.

The parents urged authorities to act quickly as they believe hundreds of Thai nationals were trapped in the same operation.

Thailand and Cambodia are embroiled in a long-standing territorial feud over undemarcated border territories, with the conflict escalating into deadly violence in July.

The countries have agreed on a shaky truce brokered by ASEAN members, and have vowed to crack down on Cambodia-based scam networks in recent peace talks.

(1 GBP = 43.28 THB)