Although Thailand has banned inter-province travel due to the resurgence of Covid-19, Myanmar migrant workers from Mae Sot are returning to their homeland daily.  

Despite the travel ban, those Myanmar workers in Mae Sot who were released after being arrested and who became unemployed after their businesses stopped operation are returning on a daily visit, said Moe Kyaw, a high school headmaster in Myawady, currently working as a volunteer at Myawady-Mae Sot Friendship Bridge No (2) to accept the returnees.  

“Despite the restrictions, there are those returning to Myanmar. Tak Province has also imposed a travel ban. But they are farm workers from Mae Sot. They returned because their businesses stopped due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Some (undocumented workers) were arrested and deported. But they want to go back to Thailand. If they go back there illegally, they will be arrested and deported again. As Thai authorities making arrests, we are telling the workers to come back to their motherland,” Moe Kyaw said.  

One returnee, Than Aung, who worked as a farm worker in Mae Sot, said he came back for missing his mother rather than fearing Covid-19.   

Thailand reported over 300 Covid-19 cases on January 2 bringing the total number of cases to over 7,000.  

Friendship Bridge No (1) has closed since the Covid-19 outbreak that originated from Wuhan of China. But Friendship Bridge No (2) remains open for trade flow but there are some travel restrictions. From March 23 to December last year, over 140,000 Myanmar workers returned to their homeland.