Tak—
On May 2nd, 2024, Phop Phra police and relevant agencies captured 55 Myanmar national individuals who allegedly illegally crossed the Thai border through a natural channel in Phop Phra, Tak.
According to the police report, Phop Phra investigative officers received a report from an anonymous source reporting that a group of immigrants planned to illegally cross the Thai border through a natural channel in Phop Phra, Tak.
The officers planned an interception operation and successfully captured 55 Burmese individuals. However, four Thai individuals who acted as navigators reportedly were able to flee police pursuit. Upon further police investigation, the Burmese individuals were found to hold no legal documentation or passports. They were escorted to the Tak Immigration Office for further legal proceedings.
It was reported by Thai Immigration officials that each Myanmar national paid 25,000 to 30,000 Baht each to cross the Thai border and seek jobs in Thailand illegally. The Burmese individuals reportedly told the police that it was due to ongoing drought problems which made it difficult to seek jobs in Myanmar.
They did not, however, explain why they did not try to cross the border legally or obtain a legal work permit and visa for Thailand, in which the process to do so for a Myanmar national has been simplified and is much less expensive than many other foreign nationals.
On the same day, Bang Tak police also captured 19 Myanmar national individuals with an identical offense of illegally crossing the Thai border without permission and two Thai individuals who allegedly navigated the group in Bang Tak, Tak.
As a result, Tak police captured more than 74 Burmese individuals in total who allegedly crossed the Thai border without valid documentation in a single day.
These numbers could increase, as unconfirmed reports from Myanmar press have emerged over the past day saying that very soon the Myanmar military junta is planning to ban all working age men from leaving Myanmar to work in other countries due to an ongoing civil war between multiple factions in the country.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
