By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER/DEFENSE Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha today (July 31) ordered tighter security measures in Thailand’s border areas to effectively keep out illegal border-crossing aliens.
During a meeting of military commanders at the Defense Ministry headquarters, Prayut called for the reinforcement of the security measures in Thai territory along the border, especially natural borderlines through which unwelcome aliens might possibly invade Thai territory across the border from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia, said Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich.
He said Prayut raised concerns over possibilities of border-crossing aliens being infected with the coronavirus and spreading the disease in this country, thus instructing military units to step up security measures along the natural borders.
In addition to border patrol police, village-based vigilantes and army-trained rangers, the military units based in border areas are yet to help keep out illegal aliens, according to the spokesman.
Dozens of job-seeking Myanmar and Cambodian nationals have been spotted invading Thai territory and arrested by authorities in Sa Kaeo, Chiang Rai, Tak and Kanchanaburi, among others, in the face of the pandemic.
CAPTION:
Top: Myanmar nationals use tubes to cross the border to Mae Sot, Thailand. Photo: Mikhail Esteves (CC BY 2.0)
