159 Myanmar migrant workers were fleeing into the city through natural channels in Huai Sai Subdistrict, the south of the Singkhon Border when they were arrested by the authorities.
All the suspects, males and females, including the leaders, were traveling in 5 pickup trucks and a sedan car when they were caught. Then, they were taken for the COVID-19 test according to the measures before the further process in legal prosecution.
A preliminary investigation was done with the arrested migrant workers saying they once worked in Thailand before, but returned to their hometowns 2 years ago because of the pandemic. When the situation in Thailand began to improve while the situation in Myanmar was still in a coma by the pandemic and in a rough time with political unrests, they returned to work in a factory in Samut Sakhon province. They agreed to pay tens of thousands of baht to their brokerage gang who assists them to enter Thailand and land them in jobs.
A large number of Myanmar workers have consistently attempted to illegally come into Thailand through borders in Prachuap Kiri Khan. To meet high labor demand in the manufacturing, agriculture, service, and construction industry, many private companies are requesting the government to facilitate the legal process of recruiting alien workers as well as to secure proper MOUs between the countries to alleviate a shortage of workers.
It is said that at least one million Myanmar workers cross the border to seek better job opportunities in Thailand. With more vigorous economic activities after the reopening of the country, along with a heightened issue of the aging society, more number is expected.
