Two Myanmar men caught while crossing Mae Sai River to enter Chiang Rai

[webfact]

Two Myanmar men caught while crossing Mae Sai River to enter Chiang Rai

By THE NATION

 

 

Soldiers on Monday (September 7) arrested two Myanmar men while they were crossing Mae Sai River in Chiang Rai’s Koh Chang subdistrict.

 

The Pha Muang Task Force has been patrolling the border in Chiang Rai to prevent illegal migrants from slipping into Thailand via natural channels after the Covid-19 outbreak situation in Myanmar is escalating.

 

The two suspects were identified as Saiunkaew (last name withheld), 20, and Sailu (last name withheld), 30.

 

Saiunkaew reportedly confessed that he was travelling from Tachileik town in Myanmar’s Shan state and heading to Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University in Chiang Mai to study. He claimed to have paid Bt4,000 to an agency in Myanmar who promised to help him cross the border.

 

Meanwhile, Sailu reportedly confessed that he was seeking a job in Thailand and claimed to have paid Bt17,400 as a fee to Myanmar’s border staff to get him across.

 

The suspects were transported to Chiang Rai immigration office who will process them and send them back to Myanmar.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30394166

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-08

 

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[american2]

I am very familial with Mae Sai.  I think many have and will illegally cross.  Mai Sai River empties to the Mae KONG at the Golden Triangle.  Must be 29 kilometers just from the Mae Sai Border Crossing.

[Burma Bill]

For reference - latest COVID figures for Shan State (Burma) across the Thai border-

Shan

Total cases  8

Recovered -

Deaths -

 

All the latest positive patients are in Rakhine State, a very long way from Shan State across towards Bangladesh. More likely to catch Covid-19 in Bangkok these days!

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, Sailu reportedly confessed that he was seeking a job in Thailand and claimed to have paid Bt17,400 as a fee to Myanmar’s border staff to get him across.

That's got to be addressed at a very high level.

[sirocco]

Certainly, they are illegal, and given COVID19, there are a lot of risks.
But, they did not come looking for help, asking for assistantship, rolling their thumbs all day and being demanding.
One came for studies, the other for work.
Quite different than all those African lads.