Chumphon —
At 11:30 AM on October 17th, 2024, police in Chumphon’s Lang Suan District were alerted by monks from Wat Sek Tharam about a distressing scene involving a group of Burmese migrants, several of whom were found dead or barely breathing.
Chumphon authorities arrived at a forest approximately 2 kilometers from Phetkasem Road, where they discovered 12 Burmese migrants lying in poor condition, covered in dirt and visibly weakened.
Among them, two men aged 25-30 were confirmed dead at the scene. Another individual later succumbed to their injuries at Lang Suan Hospital, raising the total death toll to three.
The remaining 10 individuals including two women and eight men, aged between 15 and 50, were in critical condition. Many displayed signs of extreme exhaustion, with some foaming at the mouth and exhibiting seizure-like symptoms.
Emergency responders quickly transported the survivors to nearby hospitals, where they were treated for severe dehydration and respiratory distress.
Survivors recounted a harrowing journey, revealing they had traveled from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, smuggled across the border by traffickers. They had endured multiple transfers between vehicles, with 26 people crammed into a closed truck.
Along the journey, they reportedly faced oppressive heat and a lack of air, food, and water, which ultimately led to the critical condition of many. When the truck’s driver realized the gravity of the situation, rather than helping, he abandoned them in the forest, leaving those who were still conscious to pull the unconscious away from the truck, according to the Burmese survivors.
On October 18th, Thai authorities arrested two suspects involved in the smuggling operation. Both individuals had been driving the overloaded trucks that transported the Burmese migrants. They were not, however, identified by name.
However, one accomplice remains at large, and police are actively working to gather more evidence to track him down and ensure that all responsible parties are brought to justice.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
