Myanmar people flock to buy goods in Thailand amid storm fear

BANGKOK, October 6 (TNA) - Markets in Thailand’s southern Ranong province, bordering Myanmar’s Kawthaung township, were very active Saturday, as Myanmar people flocked to buy goods in the Thai side to stock up their emergency supplies, amid fear for the approaching Gaemi storm. Naruemon Khonpoom, Ranong's chief of chamber of commerce, told reporters that the Myanmar consumers and traders packed the markets since their opening at around 6am for fear that they may not be able to cross the border into Thailand to buy goods, namely canned food, cooking oil, rice and instant noodles, as the Gaemi storm was forecast to hit the Kingdom with heavy and widespread downpours over the coming days. Meanwhile, authorities in Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo province captured 541 illegal Cambodian immigrants, while they were fleeing back to their home country for fear of impacts from the approaching Gaemi storm. Police Colonel Prawee Chakkraphan, commander of the Burapa Force’s 12th Ranger Taskforce, told reporters that, based on intelligence reports, local security authorities conducted their joint patrol along the Thai-Cambodian border and found the illegal Cambodian immigrants at Benjawan and Samsomboon markets, about 500 meter from Thailand's Baan Klong Luek permanent checkpoint in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet area bordering Cambodia. The Cambodian illegal immigrants, carrying with them their luggage, fled into a grove wood nearby after encountering the Thai security officers, prompting the authorities to besiege the forest, before nabbing the 541 illegal immigrants, consisting of 361 men and 180 women. According to the senior military officer, the illegal Cambodian immigrants confessed that they illegally entered Thailand to work in Rayong, Chonburi and Samut Prakan provinces. However, they decided to flee back home after their employers warned them that Thailand’s eastern region would be hit by the Gaemi storm over the next couple of days. Thai police have then detained all the illegal Cambodian immigrants for prosecution. (TNA)