Officials detain Vietnamese fishing vessels operating in Thai waters

The Royal Thai Navy Region 2 apprehended two Vietnamese fishing vessels carrying 19 crewmen while operating in Thai waters.

The vessels were towed to a port in Songkhla Province for investigation. The 2 boats were discovered while fishing sea cucumbers north of Koh Kra, off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat. After inquiring the captains, the officials found that all the 19 crew on the fishing vessels were from Kamao, Vietnam.

Initially the officials arrested them for illegal entry and fishing in violation of the 1979 immigration and the 1939 Right to Fish in Thai Waters acts. The Vietnamese embassy has been informed of the incident and will work with Thai officials to deport these fishermen to Vietnam.

This is the 22nd time in 12 months that Vietnamese trawlers had been apprehended in Thai waters, involving 75 vessels in total.

NNT

 

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