BANGKOK, April 23(TNA) – In an attempt to thwart a similar tragedy in which 54 illegal Myanmar job seekers suffocated to death on April 10 in a truck from occurring again, a senior Thai army officer on Wednesday proposed Myanmar people visiting the Thai southern border province of Ranong should not be allowed to stay overnight.

Colonel Pornthep Vacharaphun, commander of the 29th infantry unit of Surasee Task Force, proposed Myanmar people visiting Ranong should not be allowed to spend one week as was the case now.

Col. Pornthep said in order to prevent the suffocation tragedy from happening again, Myanmar visitors should return to their country on the same day.

He also suggested long-tail boats carring passengers between Ranong and Myanmar’s Koh Song only pickup and drop off passengers at a fishing pier.

Col. Pornthep went on to propose Koh Song should be designated as a point where Thailand could send Myanmar people entering Thailand illegally back to their own country, like Myawaddy town opposite the Thai border district of Mae Sot and Tachilek opposite the Thai border district of Mae Sai. (TNA)-E111