38 Cambodian Migrants Apprehended After Illegal Border Crossing

Pictures courtesy of Naewna.

Soldiers have apprehended 38 Cambodian migrants after they illegally crossed the border into Thailand in search of work, local media reported on 30 August.

According to Col. Chainarong Kasi, commander of the Burapha Task Force, the group, comprising 20 men, 17 women, and one young girl, was intercepted at a sugarcane plantation in Aranyaprathet district. None of the migrants carried passports or work permits.

When questioned, the migrants stated they had crossed into Thailand due to hunger and a lack of financial support from the Cambodian government. The Thai authorities emphasised that the incident highlights the severe economic difficulties facing Cambodian citizens, calling on the Cambodian government to take urgent action.

Those apprehended have been transferred to Klong Nam Sai police station for further legal proceedings.

This event follows a separate discovery just two days ago, when Thai troops found nearly 100 bags of consumer goods, including evaporated and coconut milk, dried chillies, noodles, sauces, seasoning powders and meatballs, hidden in a thicket along a Thai-Cambodian border canal at Aranyaprathet. No individuals claimed ownership. Authorities suspect the items were intended for smuggling into Cambodia, reflecting the acute food shortages and hunger affecting the country.

Thai authorities have warned that starving Cambodians continue to cross the border illegally on a daily basis, underscoring the humanitarian and economic crisis in the region.

  Adapted by Asean Now from TNR 2025-08-31