PUBLISHED: 14 Jul 2024 at 20: 04
Eighteen Thai crewmen who have been detained since May 25 have returned to Thailand’s Trat on Sunday after being freed from a momentary detention facility in Cambodia’s Sihanoukville state. They have been detained for illegally entering Thai territorial waters.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MFA ) spokesman Nikorndej Balankura stated in a video clip that the move came as a result of Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa’s official visit to Cambodia on June 27.  ,
Mr. Nikorndej claimed that Mr. Maris and Thai Prime Minister Hun Manet had spoken about the fate of the 18 crewmen’s future and that the legal process should be expedited in order to speed up their gain house.  ,
The team had received help from the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh due to their launch and made their way back to Thailand on Sunday through Ban Had Lek’s lasting border checkpoint in Trat state.
The Thai authorities deserves special praise for accelerating the legal process that will allow these Thai citizens to visit their families once more.
” This reflects our close diplomatic ties in all proportions,” Mr Nikorndej said.
The 18 Thai nationals have been detained for entering Thai waters without permission since May 25 when they were accused of smuggling goods in and were later taken to Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court for constitutional proceedings the same day.
During his attend to Cambodia on June 27, Mr. Maris spoke with the country’s area and urged them to speed up the process.
Afterward, on July 12, the judge dismissed their regional war charge, but they were still convicted of smuggling products into Cambodia, and the judge ruled that they would experience 4-6 months incarceration.
However, the court suspended the mandatory jail sentence and rather forbade them from entering Cambodia for five decades.
Additionally, the jury directed them to be sent to Thailand as soon as possible.