Immigration police in Ubon Ratchathani have arrested two Thai men after stopping a van carrying five undocumented foreign nationals at a checkpoint in Khemarat district. The passengers comprised three Chinese nationals and two Myanmar nationals, all of whom were unable to produce passports or valid immigration documents during the inspection.
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The arrests were announced on 6 July 2026 following an operation led by Maj. Gen. Pairat Phukcharoen, commander of Immigration Division 4, together with Col. Samran Klanma, superintendent of Ubon Ratchathani Immigration, and Lt. Col. Somphat Unkham, deputy superintendent. Officers were ordered to strengthen security at the Ban Pak Saeng permanent border crossing and the Khemarat temporary border trade checkpoint in cooperation with local security agencies and Border Patrol Police Company 227.
During the operation, Lt. Col. Thawatchai Matiwong, an immigration inspector, led an enforcement team alongside Border Patrol Police officers in setting up a vehicle checkpoint near the Nong Phue highway post in Khemarat district. Officers stopped a Bangkok-registered passenger van for a detailed inspection after it aroused suspicion.
Inside the vehicle, officers identified the two Thai men, aged 39 and 41, both residents of Khemarat district, as the driver and vehicle controller. A search of the passenger area found five foreign nationals travelling together, including three Chinese citizens and two Myanmar citizens, none of whom could provide documentation showing they had entered Thailand legally.
The two Thai suspects were arrested on charges of jointly assisting undocumented foreign nationals to evade arrest by authorities after entering the Kingdom illegally. The five foreign nationals were charged with unlawfully entering and remaining in Thailand without permission.
Investigators believe the group crossed the Mekong River by boat through a natural border crossing before arranging for the Thai van to collect them for onward travel to another province. Officers seized the van for further examination and transferred all seven suspects to Khemarat Police Station for legal proceedings, while the foreign nationals are expected to be deported to their countries of origin after the case is processed.
Pictures courtesy of Naewna
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Naewna 7 July 2026