A 13-year-old Cambodian student was saved from deportation this week after being arrested at his school in Surin Province, following a complaint that he and his mother were undocumented immigrants.
The case gained national attention after a teacher posted a video on August 28 showing the boy tearfully embracing him moments before being taken away.
The post described how the straight-A student, known for good behavior, was arrested after a morning flag ceremony while still in his Boy Scout uniform and held for deportation to Cambodia, a country he barely knows.
The footage quickly went viral, drawing public sympathy and sparking heated debate. While many urged compassion, others demanded strict enforcement of immigration law, with some comments veering into racial hostility.
“The person who reported this can sleep well at night. Look at what you’ve done to this 13-year-old child,” the teacher wrote in his post.
School Defends Student
Kachaporn Chumphet, director of the boy’s school, defended him, saying teachers view him as their own child. “We acknowledge he entered illegally, but he came at age three with his mother, who said his stepfather was Thai. When he enrolled, he had the proper documents,” she said.
She emphasized that Thai government policy guarantees all children access to education and that the school followed correct procedures.
Human rights advocates and academics joined the campaign, arguing the boy’s arrest violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They criticized police for detaining a child without a warrant or risk of escape.
Multiple ministries, including Interior, Education, and Social Development and Human Security, intervened, helping reunite the boy and his mother in Surin.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, serving as caretaker prime minister, ordered immediate coordination after learning of the case.
“The footage was heartbreaking for all the teachers who have watched this child grow up in Thailand’s education system,” he said. “The solution must balance the law with humanitarian considerations.”
Education Minister Nareumol Pinyosinwat added: “As a mother and former teacher, I understand the teacher’s anguish. We must separate border disputes from humanitarian issues.”
Police Response
Police Colonel Sarawut Srividunsakdi of Buached Police Station said officers acted on complaints about illegal immigrants in the area. After finding no valid entry documents, they charged the mother and son with illegal entry but admitted the case presented difficult circumstances.
Following government intervention, the pair were returned from Sa Kaeo Province to Surin, where they are now staying in a family shelter while officials and social workers process their legal status.
The boy’s teacher, Sophon Chongboriboon, said he posted the viral message out of sorrow after watching his student prepare for deportation.
“I saw him in his Scout uniform, about to be sent to a country where he can’t even read or write the language. I couldn’t sleep, so I posted something small. I never thought it would grow into such a social phenomenon,” he said.
The case has become a flashpoint in Thailand, underscoring the difficult balance between immigration enforcement and the rights of children who have spent most of their lives in the country.
