Picture courtesy of Kaoded.

 

Ten Thai construction workers who had been lured to Phnom Penh, Cambodia with promises of steady employment and daily wages were intercepted by Thai military officers in the early hours of 2 July, after fleeing their workplace due to being cheated on wages and confiscation of their identification cards.

 

At approximately 00:30, officers from the 1201st Ranger Company, under the 12th Ranger Regiment Task Force, in collaboration with Aranyaprathet Special Task Force (Burapha Force), apprehended the group of men as they attempted to scale the roof of a private car park and buildings, near the Ban Khlong Luek permanent border crossing in Aranyaprathet district, Sakaeo province.

 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the workers had been recruited via Facebook to work at a construction site in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, with the promise of 300 baht per day in wages. However, after completing a full month of work, the employer refused to pay their wages and confiscated their national ID cards. The workers were eventually abandoned in Poipet, just across the border from Thailand.

 

The group told officials, tearfully, that after being dropped off in Poipet, they were approached by a guide who demanded 3,000 baht each to smuggle them back into Thailand. With no money to pay, the workers chose to risk crossing the border illegally on their own, eventually attempting to climb back into Thailand via the car park roof before being discovered by border patrol.

 

The soldiers took the group to the 1201st Ranger Company headquarters, located at the Ban Khlong Luek border crossing, for questioning and documentation. All ten individuals were later handed over to Khlong Luek Police Station for legal processing and assistance.

 

Authorities are expected to coordinate with relevant agencies to provide aid to the victims and investigate the labour trafficking operation further.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Kaoded 2025-07-03

 

 

 

Why would they have to sneak back into Thailand if they were Thai nationals and were victims of crime?

19 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

Why would they have to sneak back into Thailand if they were Thai nationals and were victims of crime?

The border is closed?

18 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

The border is closed?

 

Understood, but could they still not present at the border seeking assistance? A national has the legal right to enter their nation. A border can be closed to. commercial traffic and foreigners, but cannot exclude its own people.