New wave of Rohingya migrants arrive in Thailand

BANGKOK (AFP) - More than 130 Rohingya migrants have landed on Thai soil in less than 24 hours, a local official said on Thursday, as the kingdom grapples with a flurry of arrivals from the Myanmar minority group.

Some 88 Rohingya came ashore at Phra Thong island in the south of the country on Wednesday in full view of television cameras, according to Kuraburi district chief for Manit Pienthong.

Another 48 landed on the Andaman sea island on Thursday morning claiming they were Royingya, Manit said, adding they were sent to immigration officials in the provincial capital of Phangnga to start the process of returning them to Myanmar.

Over the last week, hundreds of Myanmar migrants have been arrested in police sweeps of remote areas in rubber plantations near the border with Malaysia, leading the UNHCR to try and confirm whether any of them plan to seek asylum.