Two Cambodian nationals were arrested for illegally crossing the border in Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province. They claimed to work as laborers at Rong Kluea Market. Phone inspections revealed photos secretly taken of ranger checkpoints and natural border routes. Authorities are holding them for intensive questioning amid fears they might be BHQ spies.
On 7 April 2026, reporters learned that the Burapha Task Force, through the Aranyaprathet Special Task Unit, assigned Lieutenant Colonel Pongsakorn Suengam, Commander of Ranger Company 12, to order Captain Arkom Mongkolnam, commander of Ranger Company 1201, to deploy personnel from Company 1201.to conduct patrolsto prevent and block illegal border crossingsin their area of responsibilityalong agricultural routes leading to natural border crossings on the northern side of Rong Kluea Market, at the rear of Dong Ngu Village, Moo 7, Pa Rai Subdistrict, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province.
Officials spotted and detained two suspicious Cambodian men carrying backpacks, walking along the agricultural route heading to illegally cross the border into Cambodia through a natural pathway. They identified the men as Ong Sari, 41, from Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia, holding an expired local border pass, and Sok Salek, 29, from Takeo Province, Cambodia, who had no passport but only an identity card from Takeo Province.
Both claimed to be working illegally at Rong Kluea Market and were returning to their hometowns in Cambodia. However, officials were suspicious because Sok Salek is from Takeo Province, which borders Vietnam and is far from this border area, yet he was working at Rong Kluea Market. Therefore, both were detained for questioning and documentation at Ranger Company 1201, Military Unit 20, Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo.
Upon checking their mobile phones, authorities found that Ong Sari's phone contained photos of ranger checkpoints and natural border routes along the Aranyaprathet border in Sa Kaeo. There were concerns they might be spies from Cambodia's BHQ unit secretly entering Thailand to gather intelligence for Cambodia. They were held for intensive interrogation. Both Cambodian men denied being spies, claiming the photos were taken just for fun and allowed authorities to delete all images.
Initially, officials remained unconvinced by their claims and therefore transferred them to the investigators at Khlong Luek Police Station, Sa Kaeo Province, to proceed with legal steps and further investigation.under the lawand to investigate the purpose and reasons behind secretly photographing the ranger checkpoints and natural border routes.