Verdicts against seven Thais by Cambodian court expected on Jan 11

BANGKOK, Jan 7 (TNA) - A Phnom Penh court has completed questioning seven Thai detainees charged with illegal entry into the Cambodian territory and is expected to hand down its verdicts against the seven Thai people on January 12.

But the Phnom Penh court's first hearing against the seven Thai nationals on Thursday (Jan 6) finished at about 7:10 pm, leaving two lawyers sent by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs no time to file a bail request for the seven Thai detainees; so they were taken back to stay at Prey Sar Prison in the Cambodian capital.

The seven Thais, including Democrat MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth and a leading activist of the Thai Patriots Network group Veera Somkwamkid, aligned with the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), were arrested by Cambodian border troops last Wednesday while they were inspecting an area along the common border in Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo Province adjacent to the Cambodian Banteay Meanchey Province.

Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said that the bail request for a temporary release of the seven Thai detainees will then be submitted to the Cambodian court on Janaury 11. (TNA)