The Thai embassy in Yangon will seek leniency for Thais who were sentenced to imprisonment in Myanmar for illegal possession of firearms and drugs, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Sek Wannamethee said on Wednesday.
Mr Sek said the Kawthaung Court on Monday sentenced a Thai man, Khamfui Chansamut, to 18 years in jail for smuggling drugs into the country for sale and a Thai woman, Kalaya Klabchai, to 15 years in jail for having drugs in her possession with intent to sell.
Khamfui had previously been sentenced to three years and six months for illegal entry and seven years for illegally having firearms in his possession. The cumulative jail sentence is 28 years and six months.
Kalaya had previously been given three years and six months in jail for illegal entry and forest encroachment. Her combined jail sentence is 18 years and six months.
Mr Sek said the Thai embassy in Yangon will seek leniency for them, the same way it has done for all other Thai nationals imprisoned in Myanmar.
The two were among the 92 Thais arrested by Myanmar troops on July 4 on charges of illegal entry and forest encroachment while clearing land for a palm oil plantation.
All of them were initially sentenced to three years and six months in jail for illegal entry and forest encroachment. Eighty-three were pardoned and released earlier this month.
Nine remained in detention pending court decisions for illegal possession of firearms and drugs.
The Kawthaung Court on Aug 24 sentenced eight of the nine, including Khamfui, to seven years in jail for possessing weapons.
Khamfui was additionally handed down another 18 years and Kalaya another 15 years by the court yesterday.