Around 126 Filipinos have been displaced due to ongoing border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok confirmed on Tuesday.
Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz-Paredes said the affected Filipinos were among residents evacuated from communities near the border areas.
“Maganda naman ang kanilang kalagayan, wala naman sila sa panganib, hindi naman sila naiipit sa labanan; nailikas naman kaagad sila nang maaga,” Cruz-Paredes said in an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
She added that the evacuees are currently staying in different locations across Thailand. “Sa ngayon, lahat sila ay kalat-kalat pero maayos naman ang kanilang kalagayan,” she said.
According to the ambassador, an estimated 40,000 Filipinos live in Thailand, with about 70 to 80 percent working as teachers, most of whom are based in major urban centers such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.
She noted that around 350 documented Filipinos reside in seven Thai provinces that border Cambodia.
Cruz-Paredes said many Filipino teachers in the affected areas are seeking financial assistance as classes remain suspended and most are employed under a “no work, no pay” arrangement.
She said the embassy is maintaining close communication with those affected to provide any assistance possible.
Despite the situation, the Philippines sees no need to raise the alert level in Thailand, as the clashes remain confined to specific border areas.
| “Mayroon kaming travel advisory sa affected areas, sa border provinces of Thailand bordering Cambodia. Doon po bawal pumunta, but for the rest of Thailand, safe ang bansa at mga Pilipino,” Cruz-Paredes said. | with reports from PNA |
