Sa kaeo: Authorities arrested a Cambodian family fleeing poverty who illegally crossed the border in Sa Kaeo Province, hoping to find work washing shoes at Rong Kluea Market. They agreed to pay the guide 3,500 baht each.

According to Thai News Agency, at 1:20 a.m. today, Burapha Force, together with the Aranyaprathet Task Force and the 1204th Ranger Company, were conducting a patrol mission along the Thai-Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province. However, upon arriving at Ban Phan Suek, Phan Suek Subdistrict, approximately 1.6 kilometers from the border, they encountered a group of 10 Cambodian workers: 4 men, 4 women, and 2 girls. None of them had legal travel documents.

Cambodian workers were questioned and told that they had traveled from Cambodia, hoping to work as shoe-washers at Rong Kluea Market. They agreed to pay a guide 3,500 baht per person for their entry. They stated that they had to illegally enter Thailand because Cambodia’s economy was in a slump, and their income was insufficient to support their families. They decided to take the risk and find work in Thailand. Authorities subsequently detained all 10 of them and sent them to Khlong Nam Sai Police Station for legal proceedings. They are awaiting deportation to Cambodia.