14 Burmese migrant workers arrested in Songkhla

14 Burmese migrant workers were arrested yesterday in Songkhla, a southern Thai province. They were on the Thai border opposite Malaysia’s Kedah State. The migrants were arrested in 2 groups.

One group was arrested yesterday afternoon after a Toyota truck was stopped along the border at the Rai Tok village. Officials discovered 7 Burmese migrant workers inside, 4 men and 3 women. The driver of the truck, 37 year old Sukhipli Arong says he collected the migrants around 11am from the Khan Chong village. He says he was paid to bring the workers to the border at 1,000 baht a head.

Officials arrested the other 7 migrants, 5 men and 2 women, hiding in some brush. The Bangkok Post says they were waiting to be brought across the border. All the migrant workers say they had taken taxis from Ang Thong, a central Thai province to Songkhla. They had then been taken by another car from Songkhla to the border. They add that they paid about 45,000 baht to obtain jobs in Malaysia.

Officials are investigating the alleged human smuggling operation.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post