Officers had received information that the Cambodians had rented a house on Pisitkoranee Rd, Patong, with the aim of making money from begging on the streets of Patong. None of the 12 Cambodians had a passport.
There were no records of the Cambodians crossing the border. They admitted that they had paid B4,000 per adult to an “agent” to come into Thailand at the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing. From there they had travelled by bus to Phuket.
Col Sanchai told The Phuket News, “All the children belong to the adults. They were all interviewed by the Social Development and Welfare Phuket office, through a Cambodian interpreter.”
All admitted being in Thailand illegally, and were charged as illegal immigrants. The owner of the house they were renting was also arrested for sheltering them.
Col Sanchai said, “They have been handed over to Kathu Police Station. They will be deported to their country.”