Thai man detained during night visit to Lao village

Thai man detained during night visit to Lao village

Ekalak Takoniam, 37, returns to Nakhon Phanom province on Tuesday night after being detained in Khammouane province, Laos, on Monday. (Photo by Patanapong Sripiachai)
Ekalak Takoniam, 37, returns to Nakhon Phanom province on Tuesday night after being detained in Khammouane province, Laos, on Monday. (Photo by Patanapong Sripiachai)

NAKHON PHANOM: Lao security authorities have released a Thai man caught making an unauthorised visit to a village in Khammouane province on Monday night.

Ekalak Takoniam, a 37-year-old native of Chon Buri province, was escorted to a border checkpoint on the 3rd Thai-Lao friendship bridge, adjacent to Khammouane, about 7pm on Tuesday by senior Thai officials and a Thai deputy consul-general based in Savannakhet city. 

Mr Ekalak was detained in a village in Khammouane's Thakhek district early Monday night and later posted a call for help on his Facebook account.

Kittisak Lorpatimakorn, the deputy consul-general, said Mr Ekalak and a Lao companion crossed the border from Nakhon Phanom to Khok Pa Thon village in Thakhek on Monday night without giving prior notice or requesting permission.

Lao officials detained him for questioning, as required by village regulation.

He was released after they concluded he had no ill intentions in making the night visit and was unaware of the regulation, Mr Kittisak said.

Mr Ekalak said he went to the village about 8pm on Monday to get his mother's belongings. She had visited the place for merit-making, was injured during a quarrel and rushed back over the border to Nakhon Phanom Hospital for treatment, he said.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (7)