Cutting corners: Illegal barber snipped by cops on Koh Pha Ngan

Thai police recently apprehended an illegal Burmese national working as a barber in Koh Pha Ngan, earning nearly 50,000 baht monthly. The arrest took place following reports of foreign workers taking jobs from locals.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Winij Boonchit received a tip about an unauthorised foreign worker and led a team to arrest 20 year old Wai Yan Kyaw at an unregistered residence in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani. The officers confiscated a full set of barber tools.

Kyaw faces charges of entering and staying in Thailand without permission and working without a valid work permit. He was handed over to Koh Pha Ngan police for further legal proceedings.

Kyaw admitted to working as a barber for a year, primarily serving foreign and Burmese clients. He advertised his services in Burmese and English on the Facebook group ‘Koh Phangan Jobs’ under the name ‘Hair Cut Wai Yan Kyaw.’

Prices varied based on the hairstyle, starting at 300 baht. Kyaw moved locations based on client appointments, with clients covering fuel costs for the travel. His daily earnings ranged from 1,000 to 2,000 baht, amounting to a monthly income of 30,000 to 45,000 baht, depending on the number of customers.

Kyaw confessed to entering Thailand illegally through Ranong province, paying a fee of 20,000 baht to an unidentified Thai individual for assistance, reported KhaoSod.

In other news, a shocking incident of baby swapping at a hospital left a father devastated after discovering his newborn daughter had been switched with another baby. The hospital has admitted to the mistake, corrected its actions and has since scheduled a meeting to discuss compensation for the families involved.

The father initially noticed the issue when his newborn daughter’s appearance seemed different after she was separated from the mother for medical reasons. The baby, who had been taken to the intensive care unit due to fast breathing, looked different from the photos taken before the hospital discharge.