NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: Seven young Rohingya who sneaked into Thailand were caught aboard a Sungai Kolok-bound train on their way to Malaysia at Thung Song station on Thursday.
The five boys and two girls, who claimed to be aged 15-17 years, were found sitting in the fourth carriage of the train during a passenger check by railway police at Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat.
All failed to produce travelling documents or migrant work permits when asked, said Pol Lt Col Apichart Kulrotsiri, the chief investigator who led the search following a tip-off that illegal migrants were on the train.
He said they were Rohingya from Myanmar who had been living in Bangladesh. Hardship drove them to leave and head for Malaysia, where they had relatives, they told police.
They had entered Myanmar from Bangladesh by paying 300,000 baht each to Myanmar officials, they said. They later sneaked into Thailand across the border in Kanchanaburi province.
They made their way to Nakhon Pathom and boarded the Bangkok-Sungai Kolok train, planning to continue their journey to Malaysia and look for work there.
Their hopes for a better future were dashed when they were discovered at Thung Song.
The seven young Rohingya were handed over to Pol Col Khomsan Phuetsawanit, chief of Thung Song police, for further action. They would be deported back home, he said.
