Thai authorities in Kanchanaburi Province have arrested 78 Myanmar nationals for illegal entry into Thailand. On August 26 at 3:00 AM, a team led by the Kanchanaburi district administrator conducted road checkpoints and spotted four suspicious vehicles heading from Sangkhlaburi to Kanchanaburi city. When authorities attempted to stop the vehicles for inspection, all four cars fled the scene, leading to a pursuit that ended with their capture along the road. The authorities arrested 36 Myanmar nationals and four drivers from the vehicles.
The arrested Myanmar nationals had entered Thailand illegally without proper documentation. The drivers had been transporting them into Thailand, charging between 6,000 to 10,000 baht per person for transportation fees. Additionally, the workers were expected to pay between 15,000 to 20,000 baht each for job placement services. Investigation revealed that these individuals were seeking employment opportunities in Thailand through unofficial channels.
In a separate incident on August 27 at 2:30 AM, Thai authorities intercepted two more vehicles carrying 38 Myanmar nationals. The vehicles, traveling from Sangkhlaburi to Kanchanaburi, attempted to evade a checkpoint, leading to another pursuit. While the two drivers managed to escape into the forest, authorities arrested 25 men and 13 women from the vehicles. These individuals had entered Thailand through forest routes near Three Pagodas Pass and had agreed to pay between 8,000 to 10,000 baht each for transportation services. All arrested individuals were found to be lacking proper documentation for entry into Thailand.
