Situated roughly 110 Km South-East of Bangkok, Phanat Nikhom camp in Chonburi Province was established in July 1980 as a processing center for the Indo-Chinese refugees - Vietnamese, Cambodian, Lowland Laotian and Highland Laotian who were transferred from other refugee camps in Thailand for third country resettlement process. The camp was originally administered by the Joint Operations Center of Royal Thai Government (RTG). In 1984 the Ministry of Interior (MOI) took over this responsibility.
Today, Phanat Nikhom Camp provides accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers of three nationalities:
1. Laotian Hilltribe refugees and Laotian Lowlanders Who are in the process of resettlement in a third country at various stages of the procedures;
2. Vietnamese refugees (both pre- and post-cut-off-date cases including the so-called "Platform people") in their resettlement process, as well -as Vietnamese asylum seekers who are either in the process of voluntary repatriation to Vietnam or waiting for the completion of their refugee status determination.
3. A small number of Cambodians are- waiting for completion of the process of resettlement in a third country or repatriation to their country of origin.
In the camp, there are 1,052 semi-permanent buildings arranged in quadrangles in an area of 320 rais/126 acres/51 hectares. Each building has a floor space of 40 m2, the optimum capacity for 3 families or 20 persons. There are other non-residential buildings which provide space for offices, classrooms, hospitals, OPD, warehouses, distribution centre, postal services, place of worship and restaurants. Additional housing arrangements are also made available to the staff of Ministry of Interior and other agencies in order to assist departing refugees and asylum seekers for their onward travel from Dong Muang Airport to resettlement countries as well as to the countries of origin.
The Ministry of Interior has overall responsibility for administration of the camp, including the security arrangements as well as the supervision of all program implementation activities carried out by the agencies in the camp.
The MOI officials -in the camp work through the Provincial Committee for coordination of camp activities headed by the Governor of Chonburi. In the camp- there are some 20 government officials plus about 35 security guards who are members of the Civilian Defense Program. The visitor to the camp are required to obtain advance permit from either the Ministry of Interior, Bangkok or the Governor of Chonburi.
The main role of UNHCR Field Office in the camp is to protect refugees and these who seek asylum from violation of human rights, and to find a durable solutions i.e. resettlement or voluntary repatriation. Another important role of UNHCR is to monitor and coordinate the implementation of program operated by voluntary agencies. UNHCR, in close coordination with MOI, ensures that necessary facilities and the services such as food/water distribution, sanitation, medical care, education, vocational training and community care are provided. The UNHCR Feild Office has the staff of 16 persons.
There are 8 agencies and 2 international agencies operating in the camp: 4 voluntary agencies (VOLAG's) implement language and orientation programs for those accepted by the USA, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, etc. - And 3 voluntary agencies provide medical and health care services hospital facilities, dental services, public health, family planning and mental health. Other voluntary agencies focus on skill training, construction, site maintenance, recreation program, postal and banking services. (See the attached list of agencies with project location).
Since it is considered to be appropriate by UNHCR and all agencies concerned to ensure that refugees spend the time productively while in Phanat Nikhom, refugees and asylum seekers in the camp are encouraged to follow the education/training programs. These are designed to increase their resettlement potential or to enhance their reintegration in their country of origin. The refugees are encouraged to work in the camp. About 3,000 refugee voluntarily work for MOI, UNHCR, other agencies and the refugee community as interpreters, office clerks, teachers, paramedical assistants, para-social workers, night guards, sanitation workers, labourers, carpenters, electricians, etc.
Phanat Nikhom Camp has a daily fluctuating population of departing refugees for resettlement and those who volunteered to return to their country of origin. The movement of refugees and asylum seekers to and from the camp became active since the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) for the Vietnamese and Laotian asylum seekers in 1989. According to the CPA, asylum seekers who leave their home country clandestinely and come to Thailand will no longer automatically be considered as refugees, as they have been in the past. The principles of the CPA for the refugee status determination in Thailand come into effect for all Vietnamese who have arrived in this country between 14 March 1989 and 14 February 1994; for Laotian asylum seekers after 1 July 1985. The status determination procedure has been set up and practiced, now in Sikhiu Camp for Vietnameses and in Nongseang for Laotians, in order to have all claims to refugee status-individually examined. Subsequently, only those who are found to be refugees, according to the established criteria, will have the opportunity to be resettled in other countries. Those who are not recognized as refugees will have no resettlement opportunities from Thailand and they will be advised to go back to their country of origin.
Cambodians are also being assisted for their eventual resettlement in a third country or repatriation to Cambodia.
Nationality Population Volutary Repatriation Resettlement
interviewed not intvwd accepted | not accepted
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Laotion | || | | |
Hilltribes | 8,788 || (58) | | 6,049 | 2,739
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Laotion | || | | |
Lowlanders | 174 || | | 98 | 76
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Cambodian | 49 || (2) | | 38 | 11
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Vietnamese | 2,603 || | | |
|(Pre-COD) 38|| | (1) | 11 | 27
|(Platform) 478|| | | 133 | 345
|(SCR-IN) 919|| | | 601 | 318
|(VOL-REP) 1087|| 351 | 736 | |
|(A-S) 81|| | | |
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TOTAL | 11,614