YANGON, June 28, 2026: Thai authorities have arrested 18 Myanmar nationals who illegally crossed the border into Thailand through a natural route in Sangkhla Buri district, Kanchanaburi Province, late on the night of June 27, according to a statement by Thai police.
The arrests were carried out at around 11:30 PM by a joint team comprising Thai police, border patrol officers, military personnel, and local administrative officials who were conducting a routine security patrol along the border area.
During the patrol, the team spotted a group of individuals near a cassava plantation in Nong Lu village, Village No. 8, along a natural border crossing route. Suspecting them to be undocumented foreign migrants, the officers moved in to verify their identities.
The group was found to include a 34-year-old Myanmar national identified as Nai Pi Song and 17 others. All 18 were described as young people. They were taken to the Nam Kriak joint checkpoint for document verification.
None of the individuals were able to produce valid documents for legal residence, employment or immigration purposes in Thailand, Thai police said.
During questioning, all 18 admitted that they had crossed illegally from Myanmar through the natural border route with the intention of finding work in Thailand. They said they were arrested by security forces before reaching their destination.
Thai authorities subsequently charged all 18 with illegal entry and unauthorised residence in Thailand without permission. They were handed over to the Sangkhla Buri Police Station for further questioning and legal proceedings under Thai immigration law.
The arrests come at a time when growing numbers of Myanmar nationals have been attempting to cross into neighbouring countries seeking work and safety, following years of political instability, economic hardship, and ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar since the military coup of February 2021.
Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar, has seen a significant increase in the number of undocumented Myanmar migrants in recent years. Thai authorities have repeatedly conducted joint operations along the border areas to intercept illegal crossings.
