Thais stuck in Shan state to return via Kunming

The government is drawing up plans to repatriate 162 Thai citizens who are trapped in Myanmar’s Shan state via Kunming in China, as the conflict between the Myanmar junta and local ethnic militias escalates, said deputy police chief Surachate Hakparn yesterday.

Pol Gen Surachate said the route, which was agreed upon verbally during a recent discussion with Chinese and Myanmar authorities, was selected to arrange their repatriation, as the situation in Laukkaing — located by the Chinese border in northeast Shan state — is getting worse.

The deputy national police chief is scheduled to travel to Yangon today to work out the details for the repatriation of the Thais, 29 of whom ended up in Myanmar after…