Three Thais to be freed soon 'at ease'

28/08/2010
Bangkok Post

SURIN : Three Thai villagers being held in a prison in Cambodia are safe and feeling more at ease after learning they will soon be freed, say their families.

Seven family members of the three men returned home to Surin early yesterday after visiting them in Siem Reap prison in Cambodia.

The three Surin natives - Sanong Wongcharoen, Lim Puangpet, and Lan Sapsri - were hunting and gathering wild fruit in the forest on the border near Surin when they wandered over to the Cambodian side and were arrested by patrol officers.

The seven family members visited the three villagers on Thursday with the help of Surin authorities and local Cambodian officials.

Thongdee Thongkham, one of the seven family members and a brother-in-law of Mr Sanong, said the three villagers were healthy and safe. None of them had been physically assaulted, he confirmed.

He thanked all agencies for helping to secure the release of the three men.

Suwat Kaewsuk, adviser to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, said the three Surin residents have been charged with illegal entry and possession of weapons without permission. Cambodia said the three men had intruded about 300 metres into Cambodian soil when they were spotted by a Cambodian patrol unit.

Siem Reap governor Sou Phirin yesterday denied reports that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered the release of the three Thais. He said news reports about the matter and other border issues by Thai media had made it harder to solve the problems.

However, he said he was willing to help the Thais as it was common for Thais or Cambodians to wander into the border areas. He saw it as only a trivial matter.