Thousands Flee Thailand as Border Tensions Drive Mass Return

[geovalin]

Sokhuntea, KT

 

 

Battambang, Cambodia — Border tension between Cambodia and Thailand has triggered a massive return of Cambodian migrant workers, with over 200,000 crossing back into the country amid growing fears for their safety.

 

The Daung International Border Checkpoint in Battambang’s Kamrieng district has become the epicentre of this wave of repatriation, operating daily from 9am to 3pm to manage the flow. Officials report that since armed clashes began on 24 July, thousands have returned each day — one of the largest population movements Cambodia has seen in recent years.

 

For Salav, 30, the decision to leave Thailand after ten years of steady employment came down to family. “Even though Thailand gave me a better income,” she said, “I don’t want to go back.” Her voice trembled as she spoke of her children and elderly mother, all living near the border in Banteay Meanchey. “I had to come back to take care of them.”

 

Others share similar stories. Sum Den, who spent 25 years in Thailand working as a fisherman and fruit picker, said he left after being threatened by local residents. “It wasn’t easy walking away from the job that kept my family alive,” he said. “Thailand was like a second home.”

 

Phal Phy, just two months into his job in Thailand, returned to Siem Reap with nothing. “I went there hoping to build a better life, but I came back with empty hands,” he said.

 

Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour has appealed to the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration for immediate support, citing rising reports of violence and discrimination. Videos of assaults on Cambodian workers have circulated online, reportedly carried out by non-state actors and extremist groups.

 

Despite a ceasefire and ongoing diplomatic talks, uncertainty looms. The Cambodian government has mobilised state agencies and military units to help manage the returnees, offering free transport and temporary shelters. Buses continue to ferry exhausted travellers from the border to their home provinces.

 

Many, like Den, hope stability will return. But for now, livelihoods have been left behind — replaced by fear, resilience, and a long road home.

 

-2025-07-29