Khok sung: The situation along the Thai-Cambodian border in Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo province, remains worrying. Recently, border patrol soldiers discovered a suspicious object resembling an explosive device in a villager's farmland. At the same time, they intercepted Thai nationals attempting to illegally cross the border on foot in an area at risk from landmines.
According to Thai News Agency, residents of Kut Phue Village, Moo 4, Non Mak Mun Subdistrict, Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province, accompanied military personnel from the Burapha Task Force to inspect a suspicious object believed to be an unidentified explosive device. Authorities marked and cordoned off the area, and issued a public warning to avoid approaching the site for potential danger. A bomb disposal unit was also dispatched to inspect and safely remove the device.
In the early morning hours, while patrolling the border, military rangers encountered four suspicious individuals walking along a natural passageway near the border at Ban Ang Sila, Non Mak Mun Subdistrict, Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province. Upon inspection, they found all four were Thai nationals: two men and two women. They possessed Thai national identification cards but no passports. All confessed to having illegally returned from Poipet, Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia, after being tricked into working online as customer service administrators. Authorities confiscated several mobile phones for further investigation to trace their communication routes and the smuggling operation.
During initial questioning, all four stated that they applied for the jobs through an online job search group on Facebook. A man using the name "Mr. Gus" then contacted them, inviting them to work online for a Chinese company in Poipet, offering a salary of 18,000 baht and covering all travel expenses.
Subsequently, on May 1, 2026, they all traveled from their hometowns to Bangkok and then continued by bus to Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province. From there, a car picked them up and took them to the border area before they were smuggled on foot through natural crossing points into Cambodia.
Upon arriving in Poipet, they were taken to a hotel under the pretext of waiting to begin work. However, after more than two weeks, they did not receive the agreed-upon work and began to suspect foul play, believing they might be being tricked into an illegal operation or a call center scam. They decided to escape from the hotel in the middle of the night. After their escape, Thais on the Cambodian side helped arrange a vehicle to take them near the border. Two Cambodian guides then led them through eucalyptus forests and rice fields back to the Thai side, where they were discovered and apprehended by Thai border patrol officers. They were then handed over to investigators at the Khok Sung Police Station for legal proceedings.
Security officials continue to warn the public that many areas along the Thai-Cambodian border, especially natural crossing points, remain at risk from unexploded ordnance and landmines, which could pose a serious danger to life and property. If the public sees any suspicious objects or has information about illegal border crossings, they should immediately report it to the local security officials.
While a well-known military correspondent's Facebook page shared photos and a video of the incident involving Thai soldiers, without specifying the date or location, it was clear that Cambodian soldiers were continuously provoking Thai soldiers. They walked to the front of the Thai line and even acted aggressively, making firing gestures at the Thai soldiers.