Border patrols nab 29 Thais sneaking back from Malaysia

Border patrol police arrested 29 Thai nationals for illegal entry yesterday, as they were attempting to sneak over the Malaysian border into the Sabayoi district of Thailand’s southern Songkhla province, mostly heavily wooded forest.

The group – 18 men and 11 women – rode through forests on 15 motorbikes to avoid immigration checkpoints. They were intercepted by police on a routine patrol.

The 29 were identified as residents of Tambons Ban Na and Sakom of the province’s Jana district. Most of them had been workerssd in Thai restaurants in Malaysia, but were returning to Thailand out of desperation after the businesses closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Officials said they would check their backgrounds to determine if any of them are the subjects of outstanding arrest warrants.

All 29 were immediately sent to a state quarantine facility.

Thais attempting to return illegally has become an increasing problem since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak

SOURCE: Thai PBS World