SOLDIERS and customs officials at Tak’s Mae Sot district today (May 25) seized five one-kilogramme bars of gold, US$100,000 and 4.1 million Thai baht banknotes from a pickup truck that had just come across the border from Myanmar, TV Channel 7 said.
The soldiers and customs officials stopped and searched a white pickup that came across the border with a heavy load of goods at Ban Wang Takian cargo checkpoint in Tha Sai Luat sub-district. There were three passengers accompanying the driver.
Businessmen in Myanmar’s Myawaddy town which is opposite Mae Sot said that Myanmar people are now unable to keep their gold and cash in their house because of a dire risk of being searched and arrested.
However if they deposit their money in the bank, under the junta’s order they may only withdraw 200,000 kyat (approximately 3,811 baht) at a time. This has caused immense problems for businessmen, merchants and investors who now want to move their money to Thailand which is safer.
They added that the Myanmar financial system is now a huge failure.
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Top: The gold bars and cash seized from boxes full of dragon fruit. Thai headline says, “Brought here from a neighbouring country.” Photo: TV Channel 7
