KANCHANABURI: A goverment patrol arrested 57 Myanmar nationals who illegally crossed the border into Sai Yok district late on Saturday night, police said.
At about 11pm, the patrol - a combination of troops from the Ranger Company 1404 and police from Border Patrol Company 136 - spotted the illegal border crossers in a forest near Phu Phaya, or Moo 4 village, in tambon Si Mongkol of Sai Yok district, waiting for transportation to take them further inside the country.
The 30 men and 27 women said they were from Mawlamyine, Yangon, Dawei and Rakhine provinces in Myanmar. They slipped through a natural border crossing into Sai Yok district early on Saturday night
They had paid 18,000-25,000 baht each to agents for jobs in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Sakhon.
The job seekers were initially charged with illegal entry and handed over to Sai Yok police for legal proceedings, pending deportation.