Thread: Dhamakaya temple monks arrested for smuggling foreign labor

Dhamakaya temple monks arrested for smuggling foreign labor | Thai PBS English News
April 22, 2014

Two monks and two drivers of the Dhamakaya temple in Pathumthani were arrested in Mae Sot district of Tak province Tuesday while trying yo smuggle 30 Burmese workers from the border to Bangkok.

They were traveling in two vans which have the sign of Wat Phra Dhamakaya on the side body of the two vans.

The Burmese illegal workers were all clad in white to cover their true status.

A monk, Surasak Surawaso, 48, claimed to soldiers who intercepted the two vans that he was bringing all the Burmese to attend a Sankatan merit making at Dhamakaya temple and will take them back afterwards.

He admitted it was his fault for not seeking prior permission and not communicating with authorities.

Chief of Tak immigration office said none of these Burmese nor the Thai drivers have any entry document.

He said all the Burmese will be charged with illegal entry, while the Thais will face charges of hiding and smuggling of alien workers into the country.
An immigration officer said a total of 28 vans from the temple headed to Bangkok from Mae Sot and two vans were found to have foreign workers mingling with other Thais.

The vans picked up the Burmese at Ban Valley in Phop Phra district, changed their clothes to white and traveled in a convoy of vans to Bangkok.