February 13, 2025
NAYPYIDAW – Thai authorities have arrested about 60 Myanmar migrant workers who were abandoned by human traffickers, including 35 children under the age of 18, according to Thailand-based khaosodenglish.
On the evening of February 10, in the Yin Si area of Phetchabun province, Thailand, two Myanmar nationals were reported to be begging for food, prompting local authorities to investigate and find the remaining Myanmar nationals in hiding, the report said.
The remaining 57 people were found in the forest, suffering from a lack of food and water, the report continued, adding that 17 were men, five women, and 35 minors under the age of 18.
According to the report, they entered Mae Sot province via the border and were recruited by traffickers in trucks with the promise of work in Pattaya, Chonburi province, via Nakhon Sawan, but were abandoned in the forest.
Two more Myanmar men and a woman were arrested on February 11 in connection with the incident, who were also abandoned by traffickers.
Thai authorities said that the arrested people will be prosecuted under the Immigration Act, and the traffickers who abandoned them are still being investigated, according to Thailand-based khaosodenglish.