KANCHANABURI: Thirty-three illegal migrants from Myanmar were left on their own in a pickup truck in Muang district in the early hours of Thursday, as the Thai driver fled after a left rear tyre burst.
Police were alerted around 3.30am by two local leaders of tambon Kaeng Sian - Rassamee Silatham, head of village Moo 9; and Thanakorn Kasemsot, head of village Moo 2 - that a suspicious pickup truck with an enclosed box was parked on Kanchanaburi - Sai Yok Road.
When the officers arrived, they found the pickup truck with Kanchanaburi licence plates on the shoulder of the road. When opening the enclosed box, they found 33 men and women packed inside. All were illegal Myanmar migrants. The driver was not at the scene, said the police team.
During questioning, the migrants told police that the pickup truck, driven by a Thai man, was travelling along Rajabhat - Kanchanaburi Road heading to a bypass road in Muang district. They said they had illegally entered Thailand via a natural border crossing and waited for the driver to pick them up.
When they reached Kaeng Sian intersection, the driver saw a road checkpoint nearby. He immediately made a U-turn and drove for about two kilometres before a left rear tyre suddenly burst. He abandoned the pickup truck and fled.
All migrants were taken to Muang police station for legal proceedings.