Migrant workers’ exodus for Songkran festival

TAK, April 9 (TNA) -- Migrant workers from neighbouring countries are leaving Thailand to celebrate the Songkran festival in their homeland as the government waives immigration fees and streamlines procedures for their travel related to the long holidays. Government officials and local residents in Tak province and their counterparts from adjacent Myawaddy province of Myanmar cleaned the 400-metre-long, first Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge Monday morning. The two-decade-old bridge had accumulated dust which was heavily blown up as about 10,000 Myanmar migrants were crossing it daily to return to Myanmar for the Songkran festival. The migrants made long queues at the Thai immigration checkpoint on the foot of the friendship bridge early Monday morning to wait for the opening of the border gate. Most of the travelers came from Bangkok and nearby provinces. The huge crowds caused traffic congestion on the bridge and thousands of the migrants turned to use boats to cross the Moei river to the Myanmar bank instead. Lao workers were doing the same leaving for their homeland through Ubon Ratchathani province as the Thai government waived departure fees from April 5 to 30 to facilitate migrant workers’ trips. Santichai Leelabuasee, 29-year-old worker from the Laotian province of Champasak, said he and his friends worked as condominium cleaners in Chon Buri province and they took a leave from April 5 to the end of this month for family reunion. He praised the Thai government for rule relaxation that allowed Lao workers to celebrate the important festival in their homeland. (TNA)