Twelve Cambodians were arrested early on Sunday after they were suspected to have gathered at a rubber plantation in tambon Khok Khrachai in Nakhon Ratchasima province with the intention of cutting down Siamese rosewood trees in the Thap Lan National Park.
Thap Lan 3 zone (Khlong Nam Man) head Somsak Kanchanakoch led Army, police and administrative officials to apprehend the 12 male Cambodians who reportedly confessed to illegally entering the Kingdom by crossing the border via a natural channel into Sa Kaew province. They claimed that a Cambodian investor had arranged for their transport to do an unspecified job, which promised them a daily wage of Bt10,000 per head.
They said they were brought by a Thai driver to wait in Khon Buri for another transport but they were arrested.
Police discounted the claims of these workers being smuggled in to work elsewhere in other jobs, and said they were convinced these workers were meant for illegal logging because Khon Buri had previously seen cases of migrants being smuggled in to cut down Siamese rosewood trees in the national park.
