Officials have arrested 8 more crossing the Myanmar-Thailand border. This is a development on the 29-year-old Covid-19 patient that illegally crossed the border into the country. 2 more covid cases have been confirmed in Chiang Rai Province, all 3 girls work at the same entertainment business. The Covid-19 situation in Thachiket, Myanmar is not good with currently a curfew in place. The Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge is still in operation for shipments with strict regulations on delivery drivers entering the country. Khaosod News reports that there are a lot of Thais and Burmese waiting to enter Thailand. The border is closed and no one is allowed to enter at the moment resulting in a lot of people smuggling across the border using natural passageways.
Officials have increased security along the border but still, there are so many with a will to enter. As a result, the latest 3 Covid cases might be just the start if there are people still trying to break the law without proper quarantine. During the morning of 30 November 2020 officials arrested 4 Thai suspects, 3 women, and a man crossing the border about 400 meters from Pamee. Officials also arrested 4 more suspects in Mae Sot District, Tak Province. Villagers notified officials of 4 persons that were acting suspiciously. All were women, 2 from Udon Thani Province, 1 from Khon Kaen Province, and 1 from Phuket Province.
All suspects admitted they went to Myanmar on 12 November 2020 to work at a business named DAT and stayed at Erawan Hotel. As the Covid-19 numbers started rising they decided to come back home. The suspects traveled through natural passageways, when arrested they agreed to be delivered to a quarantine center. Officials wish to send a message to Thais wanting to return. It is better to present themselves to officials so they can enter into quarantine instead of crossing illegally and then risking spreading the virus to others in Thailand. Illegal border crossing also creates great fear for people in the country and takes away income from businesses near the border.
