* Published: 29/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
The Huay Nam Khao camp in Phetchabun has closed its doors after it was cleared Monday of nearly 4,000 ethnic Hmong.
Just over 100 Hmong were left Monday night awaiting deportation to Laos, said the Royal Thai Armed Force Headquarters' deputy chief of joint staff, Worapong Sanganetra.
Gen Worapong insisted all the Hmong had left for Laos voluntarily.
The deportations began at 4am.
About 110 trucks and buses joined together in convoys to carry the ethnic Hmong across the border to Laos.
The first vehicles arrived at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai about 5pm, while the last was expected to have arrived about 3am today, officials involved in the operation said.
Thailand and Laos will hold a joint press conference on the operation this morning at Paksan town in Laos.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the deportations had gone smoothly and there had been no resistance from the Hmong.
People pray before they are sent back to Laos.
He stressed the need to send them all back to Laos given the peaceful situation along the Thai-Laos border.
The prime minister said that if the US wanted to offer the Hmong third-country resettlement, it could contact Laos directly.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said the government was confident Laos would keep its word to improve the Hmong's quality of life.
He rejected human rights groups' claims the deportation would do them more harm than good.
Thailand had not sent the Hmong to jail but set them on a path to a better life before they can be resettled in a third country, Mr Kasit said.
Rights groups and some countries have voiced concern that the Hmong could be persecuted after their return to Laos.
"Why not have trust in Laos?" Mr Kasit asked.
"Western countries do not trust in the cooperation between Thailand and Laos and between the peoples of the two countries.
"Don't look down on us.
"The Lao government has no intention whatsoever to kill its people."
The minister said it had been proved the 3,000 Hmong who had previously been deported to Laos now had a better life.He said Thailand was ready to provide financial support to improve the lives of the Hmong.
