The 266 Thai nationals who were evacuated by Myanmar authorities from the border town of Laukkaing in Shan State to Kunming in China on Sunday returned to Thailand on two commercial flights early on Monday.
Thai Air Asia Flight FD9702 landed at Don Mueang airport from Kunming about 3am, followed by Thai Lion Air Flight SL7007 about 4am.
The two flights carried 273 passengers - the 266 Thais, six Filipinos and one Singaporean. They were met at the airport by immigration police, consular affairs and other officials.
Escorted by a convoy of police patrol vehicles, the 266 Thais were taken by buses from the airport to the learning centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Training and Development Institute in Nong Chok district.
There, they faced screening by officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Public Health and police from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division and Metropolitan Police Bureau, to separate those who were victims of human trafficking and who were criminal suspects.
The screening was being conducted under the so-called National Referral Mechanism process.
The six foreign nationals on the flights were placed in the care of their embassies.
Relatives of the returned Thais can confirm their names with Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division police by calling number 1191, or the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security at number 1300.
Foreign affairs spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said the government was duty-bound to provide assistance to all Thai nationals in trouble abroad, whether they were victims of scammers or had travelled illegally out of the country.
Ms Kanchana said the 266 were being screened to find out who were victims of human trafficking and who had been involved in criminal activities. The screening process would take some time, she said.