SIEM REAP/CHANTHABURI – Cambodian authorities on Saturday facilitated the return of 162 Thai nationals who had been detained in Siem Reap province, handing them over to Thai officials at the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi.

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The group arrived on the Cambodian side in six buses under the escort of Cambodian military and government personnel to ensure an orderly transfer. The Thais had reportedly been stranded and subsequently detained amid recent heightened tensions and clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border. They remained in custody in Siem Reap until repatriation arrangements were finalized between the two nations.

On the Thai side, security was reinforced under the supervision of Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelabutr. Personnel from Chanthaburi provincial police, immigration, marine rangers, and border defense forces were deployed to oversee the operation.

Cambodian authorities on Saturday repatriated 162 Thai nationals who had been detained in Siem Reap province, returning them via the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district of Chanthaburi.

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Once escorted across the bridge into Thai territory, the returnees underwent health screenings, document verification, and legal processing coordinated by multiple agencies. Preliminary checks revealed that six individuals had outstanding criminal cases; they were immediately taken into custody for legal proceedings. The remaining individuals were transferred for further screening and background investigations.

Pol Gen Thatchai clarified that the repatriation resulted from coordination led by the Thai military attaché in Cambodia and involved Thais who had traveled through three locations: O’Smach, Chong Chom, and Siem Reap. He emphasized that this handover was unrelated to the return last month of 18 Cambodian soldiers following a ceasefire agreement, nor was it connected to the earlier movement of roughly 6,000 workers who sought to re-enter Thailand during border clashes near Poipet opposite Sa Kaeo province.

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The operation highlights ongoing bilateral cooperation in managing cross-border movements amid periodic regional instability, with both sides emphasizing orderly and lawful procedures for repatriation.

-Thailand News (TN)