Thai military forces arrested four Thai citizens suspected of smuggling into Cambodia's Poipet to manage online gambling, each receiving a commission of 15,000 Thai Baht, with all transportation and expenses arranged by a Cambodian intermediary. On the evening of November 3, the 12th Special Forces Battalion and the Border Patrol Team discovered and intercepted the group in a sugarcane field in Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, including two men and two women. Preliminary investigations revealed that the four individuals contacted the intermediary through the Facebook group "Poipet Jobs," who promised high-paying positions as "website customer service" and "chat administrators." The suspects have now been transferred to the police under the "Illegal Exit" charge according to the Immigration Act, with the intermediary still being investigated.
Arrest Details and Case Information
The 12th Special Forces Battalion and the Joint Border Patrol Team discovered suspicious activities on the evening of November 3 in a sugarcane field in Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, and intercepted and arrested four Thai nationals (two men and two women) suspected of illegally crossing the border to Poipet, Cambodia. Investigations revealed that each person received a smuggling commission of 15,000 Thai Baht, with transportation and expenses fully arranged by a Cambodian intermediary, planning to manage online gambling websites.
Recruitment Methods and Operational Model
The suspects contacted recruitment intermediaries through the Facebook group "Poipet Jobs," who promised positions such as "website customer service" and "chat administrators," claiming high monthly salaries and accommodation included. After traveling from their hometowns to Sa Kaeo Province, they were accommodated in a local hotel and were to be picked up by a black Toyota pickup the next day in an attempt to cross the border. The military pointed out that such "online recruitment" often lures young people with high salaries but typically involves gambling, scams, or money laundering operations.
Case Handling and Public Reminder
The arrested individuals have been handed over to the police and processed under the "Illegal Exit" charge according to the Thai Immigration Act, with the intermediary still under investigation. The Thai military warns the public to be cautious of high-paying online recruitment information to avoid being deceived into participating in illegal overseas work and falling into cross-border gray industry traps.
