Govt eyes way of bringing home Thais stranded in Malaysia
Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Bunyamanee held a meeting with agencies in charge of dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak to come up with measures to bring back Thai nationals who have been stranded after Malaysia shut down its borders.
The meeting on Monday (April 13) also discussed the downward trend of Covid-19 infections in Thailand, further prevention measures and moves to help the estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Thais stranded in Malaysia.
The number of stranded Thais is unclear because some have reportedly illegally crossed the natural borders in Tak Bai, Waeng and Sungai Kolok districts. There are up to 77 natural borders between the two countries, and there are not enough officials to keep a watch on them 24-hours. It is feared that these illegal crossings may increase the number of infections.
Thai workers wishing to return home have been posting recorded messages calling for help. In one message, a worker is heard saying: “We are Thais who have come to Malaysia legally. We want the Thai authorities to find a way to let us return to our country. We are not even able to leave the house to go to the embassy for fear of being arrested. We ask for your sympathy. Since you’re not here with us, you don’t know how difficult it is to live in Malaysia right now.”