KANCHANABURI: Soldiers arrested 11 illegal migrants from Myanmar on the shore of the Vajiralongkorn Dam reservoir in Sangkhlaburi district in the small hours of Tuesday.
A patrol from the Lat Ya Task Force lay in wait on the bank of the reservoir in Khao Daeng area in tambon Pang Phle after informants reported that illegal migrants would arrive there by boat.
About 1.30am a long-tail boat arrived. After the passengers and boat operator stepped ashore the soldiers emerged from hiding and arrested them.
They took into custody 12 people - 11 Myanmar nationals the boat operator, identified only as Ou, 45, a stateless person of Mon ethnicity residing in Sangkhlaburi district.
The migrants said they walked from Moulmein and Ye townships in Myanmar to Bo Yipun village and then over the border via a natural crossing into Thailand at Phra Chedi Sam Ong village in tambon Nong Lu in Sangkhlaburi district on Monday night.
They were led to the Vajiralongkorn Dam reservoir. From there, they travelled by boat to the Khao Daeng area where they were arrested as they disembarked.
They said they were to pay 15,000-20,000 baht each to Myanmar brokers for arranging the trip. They were heading for work in Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri and Ratchaburi provinces. They had paid part of the money to the brokers in advance.
The 11 migrants were handed over to Sangkhlaburi police for legal proceedings. Ou, the boat operator, was charged with helping them enter the country illegally.