Four Cambodian men posing as Buddhist monks were arrested Friday morning by immigration police in Si Racha district.
The police action followed complaints from local residents that a number of Cambodian nationals, disguised as monks in yellow robes, had been begging for food and money in the area near Suparerk market on Kao Kilo road in tambon Surasak.
The residents said the Cambodian men had been living in makeshift shelters on the mountain near their community.
Immigration police, led by Pol Col Prinya Klinkesorn, went up the mountain on Friday morning and found four Cambodians in yellow robes who had just returned from alms-taking.
The men did not carry passports or any travel documents. They told the police that many other Cambodians were also living in the area. During a search, the officers found only a few abandoned bamboo shelters, cooking equipment and some household items.
The four men were disrobed and charged with illegal entry and illegally impersonating monks. They were to be repatriated after going through legal procedures.
Phra Khru Rangsan, the abbot of Wat Phutthanimit, a Buddhist temple in the area, said these Cambodians had claimed they were from the temple while soliciting donations.
