Sixteen Thai nationals were arrested on Thursday for illegally crossing the Thai-Myanmar border in northwestern Thailand, Xinhua reported.

The 16 males were spotted and arrested by authorities after they had crossed the Moei river on the Thai-Myanmar border at night and slipped into Thai territory in Phop Phra district of Tak province.

The Thais admitted to having been hired as workers at a casino in Myanmar's Myawaddy township across the border from Thailand's Mae Sot district, just north of Phop Phra district, and decided to flee the pandemic in Myanmar.