Thai authorities have arrested and deported up to 10,000 Myanmar nationals working in the country as part of a crackdown on illegal immigrants during the last 10 days, RFA reported on 1 August quoting an official from a Myanmar nongovernmental organization.
Those arrested in the operation led by the Thai army work in markets, shopping malls, and hotels, the official said. Some were sent to Thailand by employment agencies.
Myanmar puts the number of migrant workers living in Thailand at 4 million, with only half legally registered to work there, while Thailand’s Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare puts the number at more than 1.4 million.