Chanthaburi: The Royal Thai Navy has intensified its efforts to control illegal immigration, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 illegal immigrant workers at the border between Chanthaburi and Trat.
According to Thai News Agency, Rear Admiral Parat Rattanachaipan, the spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy, disclosed that the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command, with the assistance of the Chanthaburi Marine Corps Task Force under Captain Weerachet Khayantham, and in collaboration with the Sathon Police Station, the Immigration Bureau, and the Chanthaburi Provincial Special Branch Police, apprehended 108 Cambodian migrant workers in Ban Suan Som, Sathon Subdistrict, Soi Dao District, Chanthaburi Province.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the arrested workers were planning to travel further into Thailand's hinterland, targeting areas such as Chanthaburi, Rayong, Chonburi, and Bangkok for work opportunities. They reportedly paid guides between 5,500 and 7,000 baht each for travel arrangements. Further inquiries revealed that many of these workers had recently returned to Cambodia due to escalating tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border, which caused challenging living conditions in Cambodia, characterized by a lack of income and job opportunities. Despite the risks and stringent measures imposed by Thai authorities, some workers attempted to re-enter Thailand illegally in search of employment.
This operation forms part of the Royal Thai Navy's rigorous border control measures, including the closure of entry and exit points along the Thai-Cambodian border to curb illegal labor movement, prevent unauthorized border crossings, and disrupt the operations of transnational crime networks, particularly cyber scam groups. The Royal Thai Navy remains committed to prioritizing and addressing these issues.