Chanthaburi: A crisis has emerged in the region as hundreds of Cambodian laborers flee their homeland, crossing the border into Thailand illegally in search of refuge and survival.

According to Thai News Agency, Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiyapan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy, reported that at 0600 hours today, the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Protection Command, along with the Chanthaburi Marine Corps Task Force, Chanthaburi Immigration officers, and local administrative officials, apprehended 99 Cambodian migrant workers. This group, comprising 52 men, 37 women, and 10 children, was detained in Moo 4, Ban Laem, Thep Nimit Subdistrict, Pong Nam Ron District, Chanthaburi Province. Their capture was the result of intensified nighttime patrols and surveillance, which detected their movement through natural terrain. The detainees were taken to the Marine Corps Ranger Company headquarters in Ban Laem for initial questioning.

During the investigation, the detained individuals consistently stated that they had left inland areas of Cambodia due to a severe economic crisis. Faced with unemployment, lack of income, and food shortages, they felt they could no longer sustain a normal life in their home country and were compelled to flee for their survival.

The authorities ensured that all detainees were treated strictly according to procedure, adhering to the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act B.E. 2565 (2022), before transferring them to the Chanthaburi Immigration Office and Ban Plaeng Police Station for further legal proceedings.

This incident highlights the ongoing economic and living pressures in neighboring countries, which continue to drive illegal labor migration. Such movements pose a security challenge along the border, necessitating vigilant monitoring and control by Thai security agencies.