More than 200 Cambodians who illegally entered Thailand for work were sent back to the border commune of Poipet last week by Thai authorities.
The 218 Cambodians, who had worked in Thai factories and on farms, were turned in to Thai immigration authorities by their bosses when it came time for the workers to be paid.
Banteay Meanchey provincial officials said thousands of Cambodians go to Thailand every year to look for jobs, but often come back with no money because they are turned in to immigration authorities on pay day.
As many as 10,000 Cambodians were arrested last year and sent back to Poipet, said Vong Bonn, chief of police of O’Chrou district.
O’Chrou district Governor Sar Chamrong said authorities have arrested a few guides who persuade local villagers to go to Thailand to look for work. But although Cambodians know they risk getting arrested and returned to their native land, many still sneak into Thailand because they expect to find high paying jobs, officials said.
“Most of them are very poor and they usually bring along their families,” Vong Bonn said.
Vong Bonn said this year about 4,000 Cambodians working in Thailand were sent back to Poipet, indicating a slight drop from last year.
“The numbers have dropped slightly due to information of cheating and the understanding some people have,” Vong Bonn said.
A 1999 Cambodian Development Resource Institute working paper on labor migration to Thailand estimated that 82,000 Cambodians were working there.