Uncle Yot returns to Thailand as RBC talks ease border tension

Thailand’s Second Army Area has received Yot Sainoi, known as “Uncle Yot”, back from Cambodia through the Chong Sa-ngam border crossing in Phu Sing district of Si Sa Ket province, after coordination through the Regional Border Committee helped secure his return.

“Yot Sainoi, 58, known as ‘Uncle Yot’, is a Surin resident who reportedly went missing after entering a forest area near the Thai-Cambodian border on April 25 to gather forest products. Cambodian authorities later detained him, alleging illegal entry and trespassing into a military area in Oddar Meanchey province.”

A report on May 15, 2026, said that at 11am on May 14, Brig Gen Nith Narong, deputy chief of staff of Cambodia’s 4th Military Region and chair of the Cambodian side of the Regional Border Committee (RBC), contacted Thailand’s Second Army Area regarding the return of Yot to Thailand.

Earlier, the commander of Cambodia’s 4th Border Protection Force, had sent a letter to the governor of Oddar Meanchey province. The matter was also coordinated through Cambodia’s Interior Ministry, before the Cambodian side approved Yot’s return to Thailand.

The report said the handover would be carried out through the cooperation mechanism between Thailand’s Second Army Area and Cambodia’s 4th Border Protection Force, reflecting close and continuous coordination between the RBC committees of both sides.

The handover was initially scheduled for 10am on May 15 at the Chong Sa-ngam crossing in Phu Sing district, Si Sa Ket province. The Thai delegation was led by Maj Gen Kampanat Waphansu, chief of staff of the Second Army Area and chair of the Thai RBC committee, while the Cambodian delegation was led by Brig Gen Nith Narong.

At 11am at the Chong Sa-ngam checkpoint, the Cambodian side handed over Yot Sainoi, or Uncle Yot, to Maj Gen Kampanat, who received him back into Thailand.

Yot was reported to be in good health. No wounds or signs of injury were found on his body.

The development follows earlier concerns over Thai nationals reportedly detained by Cambodian soldiers. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had said coordination was under way and urged Cambodia to return detained Thai nationals if they had not broken Cambodian law, stressing that ordinary people should not be drawn into disputes between the two governments.

A Second Army Area source said the successful handover was the result of close coordination by the Second Army Area under the supervision of the Second Army commander, along with the Suranaree Task Force, whose commander had pushed and monitored the process closely until coordination through the RBC mechanism was completed smoothly.

The return of Yot to Thailand is seen as a positive signal for RBC-level cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia, and is expected to help reduce tension along the border between the two countries to some extent.

The Chong Sa-ngam crossing has also been used as a venue for RBC-level coordination. Earlier this year, Thai and Cambodian RBC secretariats met there and reaffirmed commitments to peaceful coordination, measures to prevent misunderstandings that could lead to the use of force, and continued monthly talks under the broader General Border Committee framework.

Yot recounts detention in Cambodia

After returning to Thailand, Yot Sainoi, 58, tearfully recounted that he had gone into a forest area to gather forest products before being detained by Cambodian soldiers on an alleged illegal-entry charge.

He said he was blindfolded with a cloth before being taken to a detention site and later held in a prison in Cambodia, where he described the conditions as difficult.

Yot thanked Thai soldiers and all relevant agencies for working to secure his release and bring him home.

“If I had not received help, I would probably have had to stay in prison in Cambodia for many years,” he said, adding that he felt relieved and happy to be reunited with his family.