Pattaya Daily News

Pattaya is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the world. It has also become a popular refuge among the neighbouring countries whose people illegally cross the border and live in Thailand working as labourers, fishermen or beggars.

On 6 May 2011, Police Lieutenant General Arun Prompan of Pattaya Tourist Police Department and the tourist police team arrested 37 immigrant beggars on Soi Buakao and Pattaya Sai 2.

Earlier this year, on 3 March, Police General Chusak Phanatamphon commanded Chonburi Immigration Police to arrest 50 illegal Cambodian migrants at major tourist sites.

A 40-year-old Cambodian migrant said she paid 10,000 Baht at Aranyaprathet border for a fake passport that permitted her entrance into Thailand.

In 2010, the operational centre against human trafficking called Mirror Foundation monitored the return of Cambodian beggars at Ojoro District, Bantia Meanchey Prefecture, Cambodia. The observational results show that the procedures and measures taken at these checking points were ineffective as evidently seen by the Cambodian beggars bringing their family over to Thailand to work in the same industry.

The primary entrance into Thailand is at Aranyaprathet border where private profitable agencies are set up to arrange illegal access for Cambodian immigrants via Aranyaprathet-Bangkok train route.

After the illegal workers and beggars have been swept off Bangkok streets, they migrated to new vicinity, in particular at commercial prefectures such as Samut Prakarn, Samut Sakhon, Nonthaburi, Chonburi and Chiang Mai.

According to Police Lieutenant General Benchaphon Rodsawas (Deputy Superintendent of Sakaew Immigration Bureau), there are three major access routes into Thailand, consisting of Ban Khlong Luek, Ban Nong Prue and Ban Ta Phraya checking points at Aranyaprathet border.

The inspection at the three check points is very thorough in accordance with stringent regulations, making it almost impossible for a fake passport holder to enter Thailand, General Benchaphon said.

However, a small number of illegal immigrants still enter Thailand because the greedy secret Thai agencies seek alternative routes to bring their Cambodian customers into Thailand in exchange for a high bribery fee, Benchaphon added.

The Sakaew Immigration Bureau has cooperated with officers and soldiers to inspect border checking points in hopes of intercepting illegal Cambodians entering Thailand.

Figures show that multiple successful arrests have been made since earlier this year including the 5,270 Cambodians captured in January; 4, 936 in February; 6,909 in March and 7,232 in April.

The Deputy Superintendent of Sakaew Immigration Bureau stated that every Thai resident has the responsibility to report to officers regarding any information related to illegal immigrants.

Anyone who is convicted of assisting an illegal Cambodian into Thailand would be imprisoned up to ten years and fined up to 100,000 Baht.

Pol. Col. Chusak Phanatamphon believed that the beggars, who pestered tourists along Pattaya beach, would damage the image of Thailand as the country is mistakenly perceived as being supportive of a human trafficking movement.

Col. Chusak strongly urged every good citizen to support the immigration department and report any relevant

information via these contact numbers:
Hotline 1300 at Prachabhodi Social Development Centre, Chonburi.
Immimgration Department: 038 -252751-4 or email TNCDC @ CHONBURIIMMIGRATION.COM.
Pattaya City Holine 1337.

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