Fourteen Thai nationals have been arrested near the Thai–Cambodian border after allegedly fleeing online gambling jobs in Cambodia and attempting to return home through an illegal crossing, as reported by Khaosod English.
Border rangers from Company 1206 under the Burapha Task Force, working alongside the Aranyaprathet Special Task Unit, detained the group during an evening patrol in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province. Officers spotted the individuals crossing on foot near checkpoints 39–40, around 150 meters from Highway 3511 in Ban Mai Pak Hong village.
Initial checks confirmed all 14 were Thai citizens, comprising nine men and five women. Thirteen carried national ID cards, while one held documentation for a person without civil registration. All admitted to crossing the border illegally.
During questioning, the group said they had been recruited in late November 2025 via a Facebook page to work as administrators for online gambling websites in Cambodia, with a promised salary of THB 25,000 (US$693) per month. They were escorted from their home provinces to Sa Kaeo and smuggled across the border before being taken to Bavet city in Svay Rieng province.
Once there, they alleged they faced financial penalties for missing work targets and were subjected to physical assault, leading them to flee. The group said they sought help from a Thai man known only as “Win”, believed to be based in Poipet. Win reportedly charged THB 2,500 per person to arrange their return and instructed them to walk across a natural crossing where a vehicle would allegedly be waiting.
No vehicle was found, and the group was instead intercepted by patrol officers. All 14 have been handed over to investigators at Khlong Nam Sai police station for further legal proceedings. Authorities say additional inquiries into the recruitment network are underway.
Online gambling operations around the Cambodia–Vietnam border have been repeatedly linked to exploitative recruitment and forced labor conditions, according to regional law enforcement
