RATCHABURI, THAILAND – Nine undocumented migrants from Myanmar were found dead in a submerged SUV in a Ratchaburi irrigation canal, prompting a major investigation into a suspected human-smuggling ring.
Vehicle traced from tyre marks at roadside
Police officers led by Police Major Kacha Onlao from Pak Tho station followed striking tyre marks that veered off the road on Wednesday. The tracks led down to an irrigation canal behind Wat Ratsamanachan, where only the roof of a white SUV was visible.
A crane was used to lift the vehicle from the water. Rescuers later reported that the scene inside the car would remain etched in their memory.
Nine bodies packed tightly inside SUV
The front windshield was shattered and the left rear tyre had burst, while the interior showed signs of extreme confinement. Eight men and one woman, all already dead, were found packed tightly together inside the vehicle.
A grim detail caught investigators’ attention immediately: each victim wore a blue plastic wristband on the right wrist. For investigators, this was seen as a clear sign that the bands were markings used by smugglers to label and distinguish the people they were transporting as “goods.”
Six survivors managed to escape sinking car
It later emerged that six other men had survived the incident by managing to free themselves from the sinking vehicle. One of them was believed to be the Thai driver who had been behind the wheel.
His current whereabouts were unknown, and police launched a search for him. The remaining survivors, also described as Burmese migrants, were being questioned to clarify how the tragedy unfolded and to shed light on the smugglers’ routes.
Accident highlights deadly conditions of smuggling
The crash cast a spotlight on the brutal trade in undocumented migrants, who were often transported in life-threatening conditions.
“This is a terrible tragedy that shows the scale of this problem.”
said a local official, speaking under a code name.
Investigations were under way at full speed, focusing not only on the fleeing driver but also on who was running the smuggling organisation behind the transport.
Police hunt ringleaders using wristband clue
The Thai police launched a large-scale inquiry aimed at identifying the ringleaders of the smuggling network. The blue wristbands on the victims’ wrists were treated as a key lead.
Such marking systems were often used by criminal gangs to organise and control their human cargo. For the nine dead from Myanmar, any help came too late, while their families now awaited news – and justice.