The Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee accepted a petition requesting help for more than 80 Thais in Cambodia. They pledged to urgently coordinate efforts to monitor and assist their safe return to Thailand, including screening whether the affected individuals are victims or not.
On 25 June 2026 at the Parliament building, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, led by Mr. Wasawat Puangpornsi, First Vice Chairman, and committee members, received a petition from representatives of the Emmanuel Foundation and affected families. The petition sought assistance regarding over 80 Thais who traveled to work in Cambodia, some of whom are detained in prisons. There are suspicions they may be linked to human trafficking and international scammer networks. They also pushed for verification to determine if they are victims or not and to screen returning Thais.
Mr. Wasawat said the committee listened to information and the distress of families searching for missing relatives, who have reported to the police. He urged the government to expedite humanitarian aid and to carefully apply the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to verify whether each case involves a victim or someone involved in criminal activities, before proceeding with legal processes fairly.
The Foreign Affairs Committee accepted the matter for consideration and will coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security agencies, and related bodies to investigate the facts and find ways to assist affected Thais to safely return to Thailand, while protecting the rights of those who may be human trafficking victims under international human rights standards.
The committee also expressed concern about the regional transnational crime situation, especially illegal call center and scammer networks using neighboring countries as operational bases. These networks deceive people with job offers promising high pay, then confiscate documents, restrict freedom, or force victims to work in online scam operations.
The Foreign Affairs Committee noted that this issue causes economic harm globally and directly threatens the safety of many Thais. Many cases involve human trafficking, forced labor, and unlawful detention, which are human rights concerns prioritized internationally. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen cooperation between Thailand and neighboring countries to crack down on transnational criminal networks, assist victims, and raise public awareness to be cautious about suspicious overseas job offers to prevent Thais from falling prey to international scammer networks.
Mr. Wasawat said the Foreign Affairs Committee will closely monitor the issue of Thais abroad and is ready to act as a liaison to coordinate assistance to protect the rights, safety, and interests of Thais overseas.
