Four Thais released on bail from Cambodia

SA KAEO, March 30 (TNA) - Four Thai detainees in Cambodia, for allegedly illegal entry since last week, have now been released on bail by a Cambodian court and returned home, pending a judicial final decision on their case. Thai border police said that Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey provincial court approved Thursday evening the release on bail of the four Thais, identified as 43-year-old Saran Panphet and his wife, 43-year-old Suriya Panphet, and their two assistants, 25-year-old Mai Sodajan and his wife, 23-year-old Wanwisa Primprem. The four Thai citizens were arrested and detained while driving two pick-up trucks to survey a gold mine in the Cambodian territory, some nine kilometres from the Thai-Cambodian border, on March 23. After being set free, the four Thais were picked up before noon on Friday by the Thai Burapha Task Force, Ta Phraya District officers and several other senior Thai officials from a temporary border checkpoint in Ta Phraya District of Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo Province and were later fined by the Sa Kaeo immigration office 1,600 baht each for illegal departure from the country. The Sa Kaeo immigration office announced that the four Thai people were temporary released on bail; while the Banteay Meanchey provincial court is awaiting information from their employer who is reportedly a gold mining company in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey Province. (TNA)