SA KAEO — Thai authorities have arrested more than 300 Cambodian migrant workers attempting to illegally cross the border in Sa Kaeo Province since mid-June, highlighting the human cost of ongoing border restrictions despite a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
On September 8, the Aranyaprathet Special Task Force and 12th Ranger Regiment detained 50 people attempting to cross on foot through Kud Hin village. The exhausted and hungry workers were trying to slip back into Thailand to find employment.
Workers forced home, then abandoned
During questioning, the detained workers revealed they had previously worked legally in Thailand but were forced to return to Cambodia in early August when both countries tightened border controls. Upon returning home, however, they found no job opportunities and received no government assistance.
Facing destitution, they paid Cambodian smugglers 5,000-6,000 baht each to guide them back across the border through remote jungle routes. When Thai authorities moved in during the September 8 operation, three guides escaped into nearby sugarcane fields while all 50 workers were arrested.
The workers have been charged with illegal entry and sent to Khlong Nam Sai Police Station for processing.
Daily arrests since June closure
Colonel Chainarong Kasee, commander of the Aranyaprathet Special Task Force, said his unit has conducted 84 arrest operations since border closures began June 17, detaining 329 Cambodian workers in total.
“These arrests reflect the desperation of Cambodian people who must struggle to survive on their own, lacking care from their home government that pressured citizens to return but provided no assistance,” he said.
The colonel noted that smuggling operations remain active despite the risks, partly because current penalties are relatively light—often just fines before deportation back to Cambodia.
International smuggling networks
The scope of cross-border smuggling extends beyond Cambodian workers. On September 7, authorities arrested three Nigerian men who had paid approximately $1,000 each (32,000 baht) to smuggling networks for passage to Thailand. The men said they wanted to reach the Nigerian embassy for help returning home.
Their Cambodian guide admitted to receiving 300 baht per bag for carrying the Nigerians’ luggage across the border.
The arrests underscore how border restrictions, while aimed at security concerns, have created a lucrative market for human smugglers preying on desperate migrants seeking economic opportunities or consular assistance.