Picture courtesy of Daily News

 

Ten people, nine Thai nationals and one Malaysian, were arrested while illegally crossing the border into Thailand from Cambodia on 5 December, following the shutdown of online gambling platforms and casinos in Poipet. Paramilitary rangers from Company 1204, operating under the Aranyaprathet Special Task Force, intercepted the group in a sugarcane field near Ban Nong Prue in Phan Suek, Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo. The arrests came during a routine patrol ordered by Col Chainanong Kasi, the task force commander.

 

According to investigators, most of the Thai nationals had been employed by online gambling websites in Cambodia. The Malaysian man worked as a card dealer at “My Casino” in Poipet, which has now ceased operations. The sudden closure of both online gambling sites and casinos left the workers without employment and prompted them to seek an urgent return to Thailand.

 

Officials reported that each person paid between 5,000 and 8,500 baht to smugglers to guide them across the border using natural, unregulated routes. The group was abandoned near the frontier after being escorted through these paths, leaving them vulnerable until rangers discovered them during border surveillance. None of the detainees possessed legal documentation to enter Thailand.

 

Daily News reported that following the arrest, authorities handed all 10 individuals over to investigators at Khlong Nam Sai Police Station. They will face legal action for illegal entry under Thai immigration law. Officers are continuing efforts to identify the smuggling network responsible for arranging the border crossings and collecting fees from affected workers.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Ten people were caught illegally crossing into Thailand after gambling businesses in Poipet shut down.

• Most detainees had worked for online gambling platforms; one Malaysian had been a casino card dealer.

• All paid smugglers up to 8,500 baht each before being abandoned at the border and subsequently arrested.

 

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 Adapted by Asean Now from Dailynews 2025-12-06

 

 

 

Thats's the problem with smuggling these days. They do not take you further than the border crossing hmm... Dump you in places where you have to hike through the jungles and wade through farming lands. Most of this type of smuggling results in their capture. But i am curious why a Thai would need to be smuggled into the country. I would think they could show up at the border and tell them their passports were stolen or confiscated and be permitted entry if they can prove they are from Thailand. Or simply say they were fleeing for their lives and needed protection. Why pay a smuggler?