Thai Woman Dies Fleeing Forced Labour at Cambodia Border

The Discovery at Phrom Hod Canal

Rangers patrolling the Thai side of the border discovered the body of 28-year-old Faseeyah floating in Phrom Hod Canal near Rong Kluea Market in Sa Kaeo province this week. Rescue workers recovered her remains for a post-mortem examination after determining the body had been in the water for at least three days.

Faseeyah had been attempting to cross back into Thailand from Poipet in Cambodia when she died. She had been deceived and sold into illegal labour on the Cambodian side of the border before managing to flee.

A Mother’s Six-Year Wait for News

Che Bungo Yusoh, 52, the victim’s mother, had not seen her daughter in six years. Near the end of May, Faseeyah contacted the family through a messaging app, sent 4,000 baht for household expenses, and asked her mother to care for her two sons. Days later a foundation informed the family of her death.

Che Bungo Yusoh remains unconvinced that drowning was the sole cause. Authorities recovered only a newly purchased handset meant as a gift for her grandsons, while Faseeyah’s regular phone was never found. Several friends who had been in recent contact later blocked the family and deleted all connections.

Faseeyah’s Journey from Yala to Distant Borders

Faseeyah grew up in Yala province. She previously worked at a Thai restaurant in Malaysia, married a man from Narathiwat, and gave birth to a son named Imran before divorcing. She later remarried a man from Pattani but separated two months into her second pregnancy.

She returned to her mother’s home in Yala and gave birth to her second son. Just 45 days later, at around age 22, she left both children with her mother and travelled to Bangkok in search of work. The family only learned she had entered Cambodia during last year’s Thai-Cambodian border conflict in July 2025.

The Shadow of Human Trafficking Across the Border

Thai authorities have long monitored deceptive recruitment networks operating near the Rong Kluea Market crossing and Poipet. Faseeyah’s case highlights how traffickers target women from southern provinces such as Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani with false job offers that lead to forced labour inside Cambodia.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Royal Thai Police continue to coordinate with Cambodian counterparts to disrupt these routes. Local communities in Sa Kaeo province have repeatedly urged stronger checks at border markets to protect Thai citizens seeking work abroad.

Implications for Thai Families and ASEAN Cooperation

The tragedy underscores ongoing risks for Thai workers along the Thai-Cambodian frontier. Families in the deep south often rely on remittances, yet many remain unaware of the dangers posed by unregulated brokers operating near Sa Kaeo province crossings.

Regional analysts note that stronger ASEAN-level information sharing on trafficking networks could reduce similar incidents. Thailand’s Election Commission of Thailand and local administrative offices in border provinces have begun community briefings to warn residents about deceptive overseas job offers.

Memorial Plans and Care for the Children

The family will hold a traditional seven-day memorial ceremony for Faseeyah in Yala province. Both of her sons, now under the care of their grandmother Che Bungo Yusoh, will continue living in the family home where she raised them after their mother first left for Bangkok years ago.

Neighbours in the southern community have offered support as the family adjusts to raising the boys without their mother. Local foundations working with border victims have pledged assistance for documentation and possible legal follow-up regarding Faseeyah’s missing phone and contacts.