Three More Thai Detainees In Cambodia May Be Released

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- The Phnom Penh court is expected to grant bail for temporary release to three more Thai detainees in Cambodia -- after two out of the seven Thai detainees in the Cambodian capital were released on bail on Thursday.

However, bail is unlikely for Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaibul, who were additionally charged with espionage.

All the seven Thai nationals -- who were arrested by Cambodian soldiers in a border area on December 29 -- were charged with illegally trespassing onto the Cambodian soil.

Two of them, Panich Vikitsreth, a Bangkok MP of the Thailand's ruling Democrat Party, and Naruemol Jitwaratana, were first granted bail by the Cambodian Court Thursday.

Both of them are staying at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.

Meanwhile, Thai Army commander-in-chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said that the Royal Thai Army has sent its public relations officers to talk with local people in Sa Kaeo Province who oppose activists of Veera's Thai Patriots Network plan to rally at the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in the province to protest against the Cambodian arrest of the seven Thai people, as the Royal Thai Army does not want to see Thai people clash with one another.

The situations along the Thai-Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet district and other areas have, however, remained normal.

Thai Navy chief-of-staff Admiral Thakerngsak Wangkaew said that naval officers of the Navy's Chanthaburi-Trat Task Force have also conducted naval patrols along the border in areas under their jurisdiction.

He confirmed that relations between Thai and Cambodian navies have been good, and that both sides have regularly visited and informed each other of their movements in advance.