Cambodia Deports 10 Thai Nationals Over Illegal Stay, Online Scams and Drug Use
Cambodia Deports 10 Thai Nationals Over Illegal Stay, Online Scams and Drug Use
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 26, 2026 — Cambodia has deported 10 Thai nationals found to have been staying illegally in the country, with authorities saying the group was linked to alleged offences including illegal border crossing, illegal employment, drug use and online scams.
The General Department of Immigration carried out the deportation on Sept. 27 through the Prom International Border Checkpoint in Pailin province, according to Cambodian authorities.
Authorities said the 10 Thai nationals were identified during immigration and law-enforcement operations as having allegedly entered Cambodia illegally and subsequently stayed and worked without proper authorization. Some were also found to be linked to alleged drug use and technology-enabled fraud, commonly referred to as online scams.
The deportation forms part of Cambodia’s broader campaign to enforce immigration and criminal laws against foreigners residing or operating illegally in the country.
Cambodia has significantly increased enforcement against foreign nationals linked to online scams in 2026. The Ministry of Interior reported that, during the first eight months of the year, the General Department of Immigration deported 52,224 illegal foreign nationals from 85 nationalities, including 18,393 people from 38 nationalities identified as illegally residing and working in connection with online scams.
Thai nationals have also featured prominently in the wider enforcement campaign. As of Sept. 13, authorities had deported 2,385 Thai nationals since the beginning of the seventh legislative mandate, of whom 1,296 were identified as being involved in online scam activities, according to the Ministry of Interior.
The government has said its crackdown is aimed at dismantling criminal networks while also identifying and protecting foreign nationals who may have been trafficked or deceived into participating in scam operations. Between July 2025 and June 2026, Cambodian authorities reported deporting 21,102 foreign nationals from 38 nationalities identified as being involved in online scams.
The latest deportation comes shortly after Cambodia hosted the International Conference on Combating Online Scams in Phnom Penh, where participating countries and international organisations adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration calling for stronger international cooperation against online scams and related transnational crime.
Cambodian authorities have repeatedly said that foreign nationals who violate immigration and criminal laws will be subject to legal procedures, including deportation where applicable.
The 10 Thai nationals were subsequently removed from Cambodian territory through the Pailin border checkpoint.
