Border diplomacy works — Anutin welcomes Uncle Yot’s return but stands firm

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has described Cambodia’s return of Yot Sainoi, known as “Uncle Yot”, as a positive sign, but stressed that the handover does not mean Thailand will agree to everything Cambodia wants.

Speaking on May 16, 2026, at the 2nd Cavalry Division, King’s Guard, Anutin was asked whether Cambodia’s return of Yot to Thailand on May 15 should be seen as cooperation and a positive signal between the two countries.

Anutin said the case showed that both sides were able to separate people-to-people issues from problems between governments and administrative systems. He said Thailand and Cambodia did not use citizens as bargaining tools or trade-offs, which he described as a positive sign.

However, he cautioned that Cambodia’s decision to return Yot did not mean Thailand must concede on other matters. He said all issues must depend on negotiation.

Thailand and Cambodia to use UNCLOS as common basis

Asked what else the two governments should do to build confidence, Anutin said his meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet during the recent ASEAN Summit in the Philippines had provided one important step.

He said he had formally informed Hun Manet verbally that Thailand had cancelled MOU 44 and wanted both sides to proceed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.

According to Anutin, Cambodia responded that it was disappointed because it had expected the two countries to continue under the previous approach. However, once Thailand cancelled MOU 44, Cambodia also agreed to rely on UNCLOS.

Anutin said this at least meant both countries now shared the same reference point. He compared the previous situation to two sides driving on different roads and never meeting, while the current approach put both countries back on the same basis for discussion.

Asked about the current level of trust with Cambodia, Anutin said Thailand must remain cautious until everything is settled, especially in building security and safety for Thai people living along the border.

How Uncle Yot was brought home

Yot, 58, is a resident of Kantruemruan subdistrict, Prasat district, Surin province. He had been detained in Oddar Meanchey prison in Cambodia after entering a forest area near Huai Samraeng, close to Ban Non Thong in Khok Takhian subdistrict, Kap Choeng district, Surin, near the Thai-Cambodian border. He had gone into the area to gather forest products and had been unreachable since April 25, 2026.

The rescue effort began after his family filed a report with Kap Choeng police station seeking help over his disappearance. Because the area is close to the border and sensitive in terms of security, the government moved quickly to monitor the situation.

After receiving the report, Anutin ordered the Defence Ministry and Foreign Ministry to verify the facts and use all available channels to assist the Thai citizen. If Yot was found to be detained, the agencies were instructed to coordinate urgently to help him.

The Defence Minister then instructed the Army commander, assigning the Army chief of staff to oversee the matter closely. The Second Army Area was directed to use the Regional Border Committee, or RBC, as the main coordination channel with Cambodia. The RBC mechanism was described as an effective border-cooperation channel that helps reduce tension between the two countries.

RBC mechanism secures release

Maj Gen Kampanat Waphansu, chief of staff of the Second Army Area and chair of the Thai RBC side, held phone talks with Brig Gen Nith Narong, deputy chief of staff of Cambodia’s 4th Border Protection Force and chair of the Cambodian RBC side, before Thailand sent an official letter asking Cambodia to clarify Yot’s status.

After checking, Cambodia confirmed that Yot had been detained on an illegal-entry charge and was being held at Oddar Meanchey provincial prison. Both sides then continued coordination through phone calls and border mechanisms.

The period of the 48th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, which Anutin attended, became another important moment for Thailand’s Foreign and Defence ministries to accelerate coordination and push for concrete assistance.

Cambodian officials later informed Thailand that the Thai consul would be allowed to visit Yot on May 14, before confirming that he would be released on May 15. The development brought relief to his family and border residents who had been closely following the case.

The mission was completed when the Thai-Cambodian RBC coordinated Yot’s return through the Chong Sa-ngam border checkpoint in Phu Sing district, Si Sa Ket, on May 15, 2026. The handover was presented as a reflection of cooperation between the government, the Army and foreign-affairs agencies working together to protect Thai citizens abroad.

Timeline of the mission

• On April 25, Yot disappeared while gathering forest products near Huai Samraeng, close to Ban Non Thong in Khok Takhian subdistrict, Kap Choeng district, Surin, near the Thai-Cambodian border.
• On May 10, news of his disappearance began spreading on social media, with posts calling for help and efforts to trace him.
• On May 11, authorities confirmed that Yot was being held in Oddar Meanchey provincial prison, with Kap Choeng police and relevant security officials confirming the information amid public criticism over the response by agencies involved.
• On May 12, the Defence Minister said the case was still under Cambodia’s process and ordered officials to verify the facts and related factors.
• On May 13, the Second Army Area released images and a timeline of the operation, while communication through the Thai consulate in Siem Reap helped begin restoring public confidence.
• On May 14 at 11am, the commander of Cambodia’s 4th Border Protection Force sent a letter to the governor of Oddar Meanchey, informing him that Yot would be returned to Thailand on May 15 at 10am at the Chong Sa-ngam crossing.
• On May 15 at 10am, the handover mission was completed at Chong Sa-ngam, with Maj Gen Kampanat and Brig Gen Nith Narong coordinating through the RBC mechanism. The handover was carried out without conditions or any exchange.
• Before noon the same day, Yot returned home to Prasat district, Surin, where he was welcomed by his family with tears of relief. After coming home, he said: “If I had not received help, I would probably have had to stay in prison for many years.”
• At 11.20am on May 15, the Defence Minister and the Second Army Area commander held a press conference at Rajamangala University of Technology Isan in Nakhon Ratchasima, confirming that the coordination had been carried out without conditions and highlighting the role of the JBC, GBC and RBC mechanisms working together effectively.