The Bo Keo provincial authority stated in its report that the Thai officials used excessive force against the boat crews, including threatening to use guns, to enforce their actions. The report said the Thais encroached on Lao territory in the process, an act it deemed a violation of the country's sovereignty. It also said the cargo 7,800 boxes of beer from China had been ordered by a Thai national from Chinese producers and had proper documentation from Chinese and Burmese customs, and was not illegal. During the incident, four of the six Lao vessels escaped to the Lao side with six Thai officers aboard. A number of the crew jumped into the river and are reported missing.
Lao officials believe they drowned.
The six Thai immigration officers are being detained by the Bo Keo authority. Foreign Ministry officials from both countries have been reluctant to comment on the incident, saying that the problem should be solved at the provincial level and should not be politicised.