Foreigners arrested – because Thais said they smelled bad

Thais on a tour bus in the south complained to the police at a checkpoint that around ten passengers were annoying them because they were stinking the bus out. They suspected that they were foreigners. 

Chumpon immigration found that 13 of the passengers – intermingled among the rest of the passengers travelling on the Bangkok to Chian Yai service via Thung Song – were illegal Myanmar workers with no papers. 

Sanook said the checkpoint was set up in the night between KM markers 451 – 452 on Petchkasem Road in Tha Se district. 

Earlier on Saturday the bus had set off from the Southern Bus terminal. Both drivers had been contacted by a man they called “O” who asked them to pick up the workers in Samut Sakhon and take them to Surat Thani.

The drivers – employees of ST Sri Suthep Tour – were arrested after they admitted being paid 1,200 baht for transporting the illegal workers on the air-con bus. 

Sanook said that the arrest of the Myanmar nationals was as a direct result of their body odor. 

Sanook

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