Over 50 Myanmar Migrants Found Packed in Pickup Truck

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

Authorities have intercepted a pickup truck crammed with 52 undocumented Myanmar migrants who had trekked from Yangon with some hoping to find work in Malaysia.

The operation, led by the Surasee Task Force under the 9th Infantry Division, was launched after intelligence reports warned of a smuggling run through Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi. Troops, border patrol police and local officials set up checkpoints and patrols to monitor the area.

At around 02.30 on 30 August, officers spotted a suspicious closed-box pickup truck near a petrol station. When signalled to stop, the driver attempted to flee, sparking a brief pursuit. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Ban Prang Kasi village, Thong Pha Phum.

Inside, police discovered 52 migrants, 37 men and 15 women, all of Myanmar nationality. They were immediately detained and questioned with the help of interpreters.

The group admitted that they had walked from Yangon across natural border crossings into Sangkhla Buri, before travelling through jungle trails and waterways to avoid detection. They told officers they had paid brokers between 15,000 and 40,000 baht each for promised jobs in Chonburi province, with some hoping to continue on to Malaysia.

The unidentified driver who abandoned the truck is still at large.

All detainees, along with the vehicle, were taken to Thong Pha Phum Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities said investigations are under way to track down members of the smuggling network.

Human smuggling across the Thai-Myanmar border remains a persistent issue, with traffickers exploiting vulnerable workers desperate for employment opportunities abroad.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-08-31