BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Navy has reaffirmed that border controls along its areas of responsibility in Chanthaburi and Trat remain fully in force, after Thai authorities repatriated 41 Cambodian nationals who had completed legal proceedings in Thailand.
Rear Admiral Parat Rattanachaiyan, spokesman for the Royal Thai Navy, said on Friday (June 5) that the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command, through the Chanthaburi Marine Task Force, supported Chanthaburi Immigration Office in carrying out the operation at 2.30pm.
The group comprised:
- 32 Cambodian nationals
- Nine accompanying persons
They were returned to Cambodia through the Ban Laem permanent border checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, after their cases had been prosecuted under Thai law and final court rulings had been issued.
The navy said the operation was coordinated with Cambodian officials stationed at the checkpoint to ensure the handover was carried out in line with legal procedures and international practice.
Rear Admiral Parat stressed that the repatriation was part of normal immigration enforcement after the completion of Thailand’s judicial process. It was not, he said, a relaxation of border restrictions or a reopening of any crossing point.
The navy said border closure measures across its responsible areas remained at 100% enforcement, in line with the government’s security policy and orders from higher authorities. Cross-border movement is allowed only in cases permitted by law or for approved security and humanitarian missions.
Security forces are continuing to monitor, patrol and block illegal entry and exit through natural border channels on a 24-hour basis.
The Royal Thai Navy also urged the public to remain confident that border control operations were being carried out strictly, transparently and within the law.
Anyone with information about illegal activity or unlawful border crossings can contact the navy’s operations centre via hotline 1696, available 24 hours a day. - NationTV via The Nation/ANN
