Kawthaung: Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomes 4 Thai crew members in Myanmar back to their homeland safely, thanks Myanmar authorities for their amnesty, and expresses concern over the earthquake, preparing to join international efforts to provide assistance.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Rasm Chaleechan, Assistant Minister to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was assigned by Mr. Maris Sengiampong, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to travel to receive the four Thai crew members at the Bayinnaung Port, Kawthaung, Myanmar. This followed the State Administration Council of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar's issuance of Order 27/2025 on the Amnesty Order dated 27 March 2025, granting amnesty to the four crew members and allowing their extradition from Myanmar. Mr. Rasm emphasized that the amnesty and extradition were rooted in the strong bilateral relations between the two countries and humanitarian considerations. The release resulted from persistent discussions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various Thai agencies, including the Ministry of Defense, the Royal Thai Navy, the Ministry of Interior, Ranong Province, among others, as directed by Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister. The Thai side expressed gratitude to the Myanmar government for this de cision.
Mr. Rasm also expressed his condolences and concern over the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar yesterday, with its epicenter in Mandalay, northwest of Sagaing. He revealed that the Thai government is planning to collaborate with international organizations to explore ways of providing assistance and disaster relief to the Myanmar government.
Looking ahead, Mr. Rasm mentioned that both parties will engage in close discussions within the framework of the Thai-Myanmar Local Border Committee (TBC) and other bilateral frameworks to establish measures to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.
Representatives of the 4 Thai crew members expressed their gratitude to the government for coordinating efforts and providing assistance, which led to their release after being detained for over four months. They conveyed their happiness and relief that all agencies worked diligently to ensure their return to Thailand today. They also noted that Thai government officials visited the prison in Myanmar monthly.