CHIANG MAI: Forty-six Myanmar nationals were arrested by a government patrol for illegal entry in this northern province on Saturday, New Year's Day.
Col Veerachai Phongkaew, commander of the 4th Cavalry Regiment, said that at about 4pm, a patrol from the 3rd Cavalry Company found 19 men, 20 women and seven children, all Myanmar nationals, gathering at an area near Ban Luang, Moo 5 village in tambon Mae Ngon.
They had slipped into Thailand in Fang district via a natural border crossing earlier on New Year's Day, he said.
According to an initial investigation, the illegal border crossers said they were from Panglong, Laikha and Mong Kung townships in southern Shan State in Myanmar. They had paid 20,000 to 26,000 baht each to brokers in Myanmar for jobs in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
They were to be deported after going through legal proceedings at Fang police station.