Narinjara News, 18 February 2023

At least 13 Myanmar migrant workers, who were going to work in Malaysia viaThailand were arrested inside Thai territory.

They were detained by the Thai border guard police at Songkhla district locatedin the southern part of Thailand.

Ko Saw Maung, who has been working on Burmese labour affairs, informed Narinjara News that Songkhla district is a border region betweenThailand and Malaysia.

“Songkhla and Mala are not very far from theMalaysia border. It takes a few hours by a car to reach Malay. Thatarea is in the border locality of Thailand and Malaysia. They werearrested when they almost arrived in Malaysia,” he added.

According to the testimony of Myanmar migrant workers, 30 people came in twopickup trucks from PrachuapKhiri Khan of Thailand.

The arrested 13 workers spent one night in Hat Yai and then they proceeded to Songkhla border to enterthe Malaysian territory.

They had to pay up to Baht 40,000 as the brokerage fees per head. The adoptedroute to enter the Myanmar-Thai border from Moedaung mountain’s pass(Tanintharyi division in PrachaupKhiri Khan) is an illegal way.

Saw Maung also disclosed that the number of Burmese migrants entering Thailandand Malaysia this year is reportedly higher.