However, Cambodians are still trying cross the border into Thailand, looking for work.


Cambodia News, Battambang: Colonel Prak Say, Commander of the 817th Border Police Battalion, said that a cross-border crime intervention took place on August 23, 2021, yesterday, at the geographical point of Group 5, Sampov Loun district, Battambang province, when his forces arrested a broker along with 7 Cambodian workers who intended to cross the border into Thai territory illegally, looking for work.

He said that the arrested broker is named Yim Choeun, male, 30 years old, resides in Battambang Province, while the group of 7 Cambodian workers, including 4 women, come from different locations in Cambodia.

I think its going to be an onward struggle for the authorities over this cross-border crime, migrant workers will not relent no matter what controls are in place. The troublesome thing is they are risking that of there own health and their countryman's on returning. At least if they were legal they would probably be tested going and returning.

48 Khmer Workers Arrested Crossing the Border Illegally into Thailand

Cambodia News, (Pailin Province): 48 Khmer workers have been arrested by Thai soldiers for illegally crossing the border into Chanborey province, Thailand, at 4 pm on 4 September, 2021. The workers consisted of 18 men and 23 women, and there were also children and babies in the group.


Sources continued that after the arrest, Khmer workers confessed that they are from Pailin Province, and that each person paid 5,000 baht to cross the border and get a job working on farms in Thailand.
After arresting them, Thai soldiers discovered that the migrant workers have no legal documents, so they just checked their health and sent them back to Cambodia to quarantine.

^ More details on the detention of the 48 Cambodian migrant workers:

Migrants sent home after crossing canal for work
published : 5 Sep 2021 at 05:33

Forty-eight Cambodian workers have been detained and immediately deported after they were caught while entering Thailand illegally yesterday, said a marine navy team member.

All have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and they intended to work in a longan plantation in Chanthaburi's Pong Nam Ron district, said Capt Sarawut Butserichai, head of the team.

According to the vaccination certificates, the workers -- 18 men, 23 women and seven children -- were injected with either Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm or Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines and were able to provide proof they had received the jabs.

The workers said they had sneaked into Thailand through a nature trail about 4am after crossing a canal that serves as the borderline, said Capt Sarawut.

They agreed to pay their smugglers between 4,000 baht and 5,000 baht each for the illegal service, he said, adding that a 1,000 baht down payment was required for each worker before they actually left Cambodia for Thailand.

Previously, only about four to five such workers have been detained in each crackdown, he said.

Now that the demand for labourers has grown with the start of the longan harvest season, many more workers in the neighbouring country now want to cross the border in to work, he said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2176443/

Cambodian-Thai border: Authorities at the border said that the troops of the Ta Prayas unit, in cooperation with the (Thai) Regiment and the 12th Border Guard, intercepted nine Cambodian workers (5 males and 4 females) in the cassava forest area in Khao Lok Chhang Village, Khao Lok Chhang Commune, Ta Praya District, Sa Kaeo Province. They were trying to cross into Thailand illegally from Cambodia.

The Cambodian workers stated that they had to go to work in Bangkok, two to work in a grocery store and seven to work in Nakhon Pathom, construction work. They each paid the broker 5,500 Thai baht.

How much would it cost the Cambodian immigrant worker to be legal?

AndyKK wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:40 am How much would it cost the Cambodian immigrant worker to be legal?

I think the problem at the moment is that all the land borders are closed to migrant workers because of Covid, so their only solution is to take the illegal way across the border and hope for the best (work illegally) once they get there. The lack of monotoring leaves the workers wide open to exploitation and probably increases the spread of Covid.
Time to open and legalise cross border traffic IMO.

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:52 am

AndyKK wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:40 am How much would it cost the Cambodian immigrant worker to be legal?

I think the problem at the moment is that all the land borders are closed to migrant workers because of Covid, so their only solution is to take the illegal way across the border and hope for the best (work illegally) once they get there. The lack of monotoring leaves the workers wide open to exploitation and probably increases the spread of Covid.
Time to open and legalise cross border traffic IMO.

I thought the land borders were open for the migrant workers, with agrements on both sides.

AndyKK wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 4:33 am

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:52 am

AndyKK wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:40 am How much would it cost the Cambodian immigrant worker to be legal?

I think the problem at the moment is that all the land borders are closed to migrant workers because of Covid, so their only solution is to take the illegal way across the border and hope for the best (work illegally) once they get there. The lack of monotoring leaves the workers wide open to exploitation and probably increases the spread of Covid.
Time to open and legalise cross border traffic IMO.

I thought the land borders were open for the migrant workers, with agrements on both sides.

The situation might have changed, but I'm pretty sure that the land borders have remained closed to all but returning citizens, emergency ambulances, and essential goods vehicles etc.