SA KAEO, Thailand – Thailand’s opposition lawmakers led by Rangsiman Rome and Natthapong Ruangpanyawut from the People’s Party conducted a field inspection near the VIP crossing points at Ban Sano Noi village in Aranyaprathet district. They investigated reports of natural crossing paths used for illegal border crossings between Thailand and Cambodia, stressing that Thailand has not closed the border but controls entry and exit to combat criminal activities.
Rangsiman Rome acknowledged that while some traces of illegal crossing exist through dense bamboo forests, crossing is currently difficult and under investigation to identify involved parties. The lawmakers highlighted the ongoing issue of call center gangs operating from Cambodia, which exploit Thai resources such as electricity, fuel, and use the area as a base for scams harming Thailand’s reputation.
Rome stressed the economic impact, noting the large buildings on the Cambodian side are funded by global scammed money, with the local Thai economy unable to compete with the scale of this illicit activity. “If we cut off the financial sources of these call center gangs, it would devastate the Cambodian economy tied to this business,” he said.
The opposition urged the government to strengthen support for frontline officers with better technology, equipment, and personnel. They proposed installing 24-hour sensor cameras and surveillance systems to detect illegal crossings more efficiently than constructing a 100-kilometer border fence, which could be costly and risk border disputes if people tunnel underneath.
Natthapong Ruangpanyawut emphasized that the main border issues in Sa Kaeo are call center gangs, border economy, and territorial security, but there is no dispute on border demarcations here. He confirmed Thailand’s measures focus on controlling border crossings to prevent human trafficking and scams, not closing the border entirely.
Both lawmakers insisted that misunderstandings about border closures, especially among some foreign nationals (“Uncles”), are incorrect. They suggested anyone complaining about border control disruptions might have ties to illegal call center operations.
Finally, Rangsiman Rome called for clear separation between efforts to combat call center gangs and allowing legitimate cross-border trade, advocating for transparent and fair border management that respects humanitarian concerns.
