KRI Songkhla Provides Assistance and Facilitation for the Repatriation of Indonesian Seafarers Under Age

The process of accompanying MY by KRI Songkhla. (Source: KRI Songkhla)

JAKARTA - Starting from the desire to make extra money while on school holidays, MY (15) was caught by the Thai maritime authorities when two Indonesian boats were arrested in Phuket waters, and had to undergo detention before finally being repatriated with the assistance and facilitation of the Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla.

KRI Songkhla received confirmation of the whereabouts of one Indonesian crew member (ABK) under the age of 19 from a total of 19 ABK secured by the Thai authorities, following the information on the arrest on March 11, 2026.

MY (15), a teenager from East Aceh and still has the status of a high school student, is on school holidays and wants to find extra personal money to fill his free time during the holidays. MY was then interested in following the invitation of his acquaintances to go fishing in the sea.

Who would have thought, MY's activity to fill the school holidays, ended up with being detained in Thailand for more than six weeks.

The process of accompanying MY by KRI Songkhla. (Source: KRI Songkhla)

MY admitted that it was the first time he had caught fish in the sea. To KRI Songkhla, MY explained that he had been on board the KM. Aneuk Manja 02 for eight days and eight nights.

Until the early hours of March 11, 2026, the Thai maritime authorities launched an arrest operation and then found MY with 13 other Indonesian crew members on board the KM. Aneuk Manja 02, who were arrested on charges of illegal fishing.

MY who was asleep during the arrest operation was shocked when he woke up and found that he and his colleagues were already in a foreign territory and facing Thai authorities.

"Following the arrest, on March 12 and 13, 2026, KRI Songkhla carried out consular access and accompaniment to MY and 18 other colleagues in the Thai legal authorities," said Indonesian Consul Songkhla Winardi H. Lucky, launching a written statement on Friday (1/5).

MY upon arrival in the country. (Source: KRI Songkhla)

"On March 14, 2026, MY was placed in temporary detention at the Phuket Juvenile Detention House while awaiting the trial," he added.

KRI Songkhla then continued to coordinate with the Thai authorities to ensure that the handling of the case was carried out according to procedures, especially for MY to fulfill his rights as a minor who faces the law (ABH).

KRI Songkhla has provided assistance and translation assistance for MY on several occasions until the trial.

On April 23, 2026, the Phuket Juvenile and Family Court's ruling suspended the sentence for MY, ordering him to be immediately deported out of Thailand.

For the cooperation of KRI Songkhla with the Phuket Immigration Office and the Phuket Child and Family Shelter, MY was allowed to stay at the Special Child Shelter until the completion of preparations for deportation and repatriation.

Accompanied by the staff of KRI Songkhla, MY arrived at Kualanamu Airport, Medan, Indonesia on April 30, 2026 at 22:20 WIB and was received by the Head of the East Aceh Fisheries Service for further repatriation to his home in East Aceh.

It added that the repatriation of MYs was also jointly monitored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the relevant Regional Governments.