A border patrol arrested 48 Myanmar nationals who illegally crossed the border into Thailand in two groups, in Sai Yok district on Monday.
About 8am a military-police patrol stopped a Toyota van for a search at Phu Noy village in tambon Lum Sum.
Ten men and four women were in the van, all lfrom Myanmar, along with two Thai men – Hansa Samransuksamoe, 27, the driver, and Supol Kraihom, 30, both from Sai Yok district.
The migrants said they were from Yangon, had crossed the border earlier in the morning and were met by the two Thai men, who were to take them in the van to a waiting area.
They had each paid 20,000 baht to job agents, but did not yet know their destination.
Later in the morning, the patrol was directed to Moo 4 village in tambon Si Mongkhon after a report that illegal border crossers had been seen in the nearby forest.
They arrested 20 men and 14 women, who said they were from Bago, Nay Pyi Taw, Dawei and Mawlumyine townships in Myanmar. They had paid 20,000 baht each to brokers for jobs in Samut Sakhon.
The two groups of job seekers, 48 in total, were taken to Sai Yok police station for legal proceeding on charges of illegal entry and violating the emergency decree, pending repatriation.
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