SA KAEO – The Thai Army’s Burapa Task Force has issued an immediate ban prohibiting Thai nationals from crossing into Cambodia’s Poipet township to work at entertainment venues and casinos. The order, effective as of Tuesday morning, cites safety concerns for Thai citizens amid escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries.

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Major General Benchapol Dechatiwong na Ayutthaya, commander of the Sa Kaeo-based Burapa Task Force, formally directed the Sa Kaeo Immigration Police to enforce the restriction. The written order explicitly bars all Thai employees of Poipet’s casinos and entertainment establishments from using Sa Kaeo’s border crossings.

The ban coincides with Cambodia’s retaliatory blockade on Thai fruit and vegetable imports, signaling a broader deterioration in cross-border relations. Authorities did not specify whether the measure was directly linked to the trade dispute but emphasized it was enacted to protect Thai workers.

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— Thai PBS News (@ThaiPBSNews) June 17, 2025

Sa Kaeo Immigration Police Chief Colonel Napatrapong Supaporn urged compliance, advising Thais still in Poipet to return home promptly. “We ask for cooperation from all Thai nationals for their own safety,” he stated during a press briefing.

The indefinite restriction leaves hundreds of Thai casino and service industry workers in limbo, many of whom commute daily to Poipet, a bustling gambling hub just across the border. No timeline has been set for the ban’s review, with the Burapa Task Force retaining sole authority to lift the order.

Analysts suggest the move may reflect growing unease over transnational crime and labor exploitation in border casinos, though officials have yet to disclose specific security threats prompting the abrupt policy shift.

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Background: Poipet’s casino industry employs thousands of Thais in service roles, with many crossing daily via the Aranyaprathet checkpoint in Sa Kaeo.

-Thailand News (TN)