CHANTHABURI, Thailand – Royal Thai Navy has reaffirmed that Thailand’s border checkpoints with Cambodia remain fully closed after 14 Thai nationals were arrested while allegedly sneaking back into the country through a natural crossing route in Chanthaburi province. According to Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiphan, patrol forces from the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command intercepted the group around 2 a.m. on May 28 near an agricultural area in Pong Nam Ron district after receiving intelligence reports about illegal border crossings. Authorities detained 11 men and three women, all of whom reportedly admitted they had been working as online gambling website administrators in Poipet for salaries of about 20,000 baht per month.
Investigators said intensified Cambodian crackdowns on scam centers, illegal gambling networks, and foreign workers in Poipet had left many workers jobless and unpaid, prompting some to attempt risky nighttime escapes back into Thailand through unofficial routes. Thai officials charged the group with illegally entering the country outside authorized checkpoints before transferring them to local police and immigration authorities for legal proceedings. The Navy said the case directly contradicts online claims circulating on some social media pages alleging that border crossings had already reopened. Officials argued that if checkpoints were operating normally, the group would not have needed to cross secretly through jungle routes during the night. The incident also highlights continuing concerns over transnational crime networks operating along the Thai-Cambodian border, including online gambling, scam operations, and illegal labor movements, despite ongoing security measures and border enforcement.
