Koh Lanta Raid Uncovers 116 Myanmar Refugees Evading Conscription
Kanchanaburi, Thailand—On February 18, 2025, Thai authorities uncovered a clandestine operation transporting Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in Thailand. 116 migrants were apprehended hiding on a small island in the Vajiralongkorn Dam, Sangkhla Buri district. Discovered after a tip-off led police to their secluded sanctuary—approximately 300 meters from the mainland in Moo 2, Nong Loo Subdistrict—the group, primarily young men and women, highlighted the lengths people will go to escape the turmoil in their homeland.
Responding to intelligence, Pol. Col. Phaitoon Sriwilai, Superintendent of Sangkhla Buri Police Station, swiftly coordinated a multi-agency operation involving local police, the Surasi Task Force, and administrative officials. The dam’s water level presented a logistical challenge in reaching the island. Col. Sriwilai resourcefully enlisted local boat operators, typically servicing tourists, to ferry the migrants back to the mainland. This painstaking process, involving 116 individuals, extended into the evening.
The migrants—72 men, 44 women, and two children—described a grim journey. A Thai-speaking migrant explained they hailed from Phaya Thongsu, Myanmar, and had illegally crossed into Thailand via porous border routes. Their odyssey involved waiting in a forested area near a road before being transported to a jetty concealed behind a temple. From there, a 20-minute boat ride took them to their island hideout. Some had spent two to three days on the island, surviving on a single daily meal provided by their facilitators.
A significant detail emerged: each migrant wore a colored plastic string around their wrist—a rudimentary yet effective coding system used by human traffickers to designate destinations. A red string, for example, signified Samut Sakhon; a green string, Samut Prakan. The migrants aimed for employment hubs beyond Kanchanaburi province, including Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, and Bangkok. Some even hoped to reach Malaysia. Each had paid brokers in Myanmar between 18,000 and 20,000 baht (approximately $530–$590), a price varying with the destination’s distance.
This exodus stemmed from Myanmar’s recently enforced conscription law, mandating two years of military service for men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27, without exemptions. This stringent policy, implemented by the military government, has driven many young people to flee rather than face conscription. Their desperate flight underscores the human cost of the ongoing political and social unrest in Myanmar.
Following their confession of illegal entry, the migrants were transported to Sangkhla Buri police station, facing charges under Thailand’s Immigration Act. They are expected to be deported to Myanmar after legal proceedings. This incident starkly reveals the region’s complex challenges, highlighting the plight of refugees and the intricate web of human trafficking that exploits their vulnerability. The colored strings on their wrists became symbols not only of their intended destinations but also of the precarious journeys undertaken in pursuit of a better life, far from the shadow of conscription and conflict.
