Thai crew released by Cambodia
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Thai crew released by Cambodia

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, right, shakes hands with Thailand's Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, who paid a courtesy call on the Cambodian leader in Phnom Penh during his official visit on June 27. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, right, shakes hands with Thailand's Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, who paid a courtesy call on the Cambodian leader in Phnom Penh during his official visit on June 27. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Eighteen Thai crewmen detained for illegally entering Cambodian territorial waters since May 25 arrived back in Thailand's Trat on Sunday after being freed from a temporary detention centre in Cambodia's Sihanoukville province.

Nikorndej Balankura, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), said in a video clip the release followed the strengthening of Thailand-Cambodia relations during Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa's official visit to Cambodia on June 27. 

Mr Nikorndej said Mr Maris had discussed the fate of the 18 crewmen with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and called for the legal process to allow them to return home to be sped up as much as possible. 

The crew returned to Thailand on Sunday through Ban Had Lek's permanent border checkpoint in Trat province, having received assistance from the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh prior to their release.

"The government would like to thank the Cambodian government for speeding up the legal process to allow these Thai citizens to return to meet their families back home again.

"This reflects our close bilateral ties in all dimensions," Mr Nikorndej said.

According to the MFA, the 18 Thais had been under arrest for illegally entering Cambodian waters since May 25 when they were accused of smuggling goods into Cambodia and sent to Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court for legal proceedings the same day.

Mr Maris consulted with the Cambodian side during his visit on June 27 and urged them to speed up the process.

Later, on July 12, the court dismissed their territorial invasion charge, but they were still convicted of smuggling goods into Cambodia, and the court ruled that they would face 4-6 months imprisonment.

However, the court suspended the sentence requiring jail time and instead barred them from entering Cambodia for five years.

The court also ordered them to be expatriated to Thailand as soon as possible.

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