The Eastern Forces arrested five Thais who illegally crossed back from Poipet, claiming they were deceived into working as online gambling administrators without receiving salaries amid rising living costs.
At 05:00 on 6 May 2026, the Eastern Forces, through the Aranyaprathet Task Force and the 12th Ranger Control Unit, Company 1206, conducted patrols to prevent illegal activities along the border.
They found five suspicious individuals (two men and three women) walking along a natural path near Ban Noen Sombun, Village No. 12, Khlong Nam Sai Subdistrict, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, about 100 meters from Highway 3366. Officials identified themselves and found all to be Thai citizens with valid ID cards, who admitted to illegally returning from Cambodia.
Investigation revealed the group had been recruited to work as online gambling administrators in Poipet since November 2025, with a promised salary of 18,000 baht. However, upon starting work, they received no wages and faced high living costs.
After Cambodian authorities inspected their workplace, they had to stop working and relocate their residence before deciding to flee back to Thailand.
The suspects admitted paying between 3,000 and 5,000 baht to smugglers when leaving and an additional 9,000 baht each for the smugglers to help them illegally cross back through natural routes, but were caught by authorities, while the smuggler escaped.
Initially, authorities detained all suspects and handed them over to investigators at Khlong Nam Sai Police Station for legal proceedings, while intensifying efforts to investigate and track down the human smuggling network.