Thai authorities arrested more than 250 Myanmar citizens in two days at two border checkpoints, according to local Thai media. The list of detainees was released on February 2 and 3.

A total of 253 Myanmar citizens were arrested while they were trying to enter Sai Yo township and Sankhalaburi township, Kanchanaburi Province on the Myanmar-Thailand border within two days on their way to seek jobs in the areas such as Samut Sakhon province, Rayong province, Kanchanaburi province and Bangkok.

They had to pay between 18,000 and 25,000 baht per person for brokerage to get a job in Thailand.

According to some Thai news reports, the Thai government is also planning to bring Myanmar citizens under a formal MOU in the coming days after 185 Cambodians have been permitted to enter Thailand under an MOU in a few days ago.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, several million Myanmar migrants used to work legally or illegally in Thailand. The pandemic and border restrictions led to a fall in business and the economy and difficulties in migrants gaining employment.