The Mae Sai river is running coffee brown and the current looks quite strong. But, even though the monsoon has started, it is not much of a river by Indian standards. Even within Mae Sai town it is twisty, and then straightens out to flow under the bridge that is the border between Thailand and Myanmar. The river originates in Myanmar’s Shan state, from where four of the rescued young footballers reportedly come. The river then touches the feet of the Doi Nang Non mountain range—Tham Luang caves are in this range—and bends eastwards to merge into the Ruak river, which then joins the mighty Mekong at the ‘Golden Triangle’, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet.
The bridge over the Mae Sai marks the meeting of Thailand’s Route 1 highway and Myanmar’s Route 4 highway. The international border makes Mae Sai a bustling trade post. The town’s market sells everything from electronic goods to rifle scopes to dried fruit to combat fatigues to the trademark bamboo hats. And, for Silence of the Lambs fans, there is fried fava beans. Crisp and nutty. Just the beans, and no liver. Remember Dr Lecter telling Dr Starling about how he ate the census-taker? “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."
People cross the border both ways to trade. Thai and Burmese nationals can cross the border with a pass, issued at the respective border control offices. Foreign nationals now need to have their passports stamped to cross over. Communication is a big challenge, both with local residents and officials.
In the market, women in tights and Tshirts mingle with those wearing the traditional sarong and with thanaka-powdered faces, and the rare woman wearing tribal headgear and jewellery. From the Wat Phra That Doi Wao temple, aka Scorpion Temple, one can get a panoramic view of both sides of the border.
The muddy Mae Sai river flows under the bridge joining the border between Thailand and Myanmar | Bhanu Prakash Chandra
A Burmese woman sells her goods at the bustling trade post at the border | Bhanu Prakash Chandra
The main street of the Mae Sai market at the Myanmar and Thailand border | Bhanu Prakash Chandra
The Wat Phra That Doi Wao temple, Scorpion Temple at the border | Bhanu Prakash Chandra
A Burma village which can be seen from the Scorpion temple at the border | Bhanu Prakash Chandra
People enjoy a meal at a restaurant at the border | Bhanu Prakash Chandra
Outside urban limits, the border is apparently quite porous. And, that is where the young footballers come in. Reports now say that players Adul Sam-on, Pornchai Kamluang and Mongkhol Boonpiam, and coach Ekaphol ‘Ek’ Chantawong, might not be Thais, legally. Mongkhol, reportedly, was one of the first four to be rescued. Adul is the only one among the 13 who can speak English. He was instrumental in communicating with divers Volanthen and Stanton, who found the boys. According to some reports, Adun stays across the border and attends school in Thailand.
The border region has seen quite a bit of violence over the years, including the bloody standoff between the Kuomingtang army and Burmese military in the 1950s. Then, there are the tribal conflicts in the area. The bursts of violence have led to migration and loss of lives in the area. So, it is no surprise to know that there are stateless people on both sides.
It is to these boys that FIFA and Manchester United have extended invitations. Boys who do not have documents to prove their citizenship, let alone travel documents or passports. Even the boys who are bonafide citizens might not have passports, a local resident said. Simply because they came from lower-middle class families.
During the final press conference in Mae Sai, rescue commander Narongsak Osottanakorn had said that he was not aware if the boys had citizenship issues. He said that if they had such issues, it would be solved through due legal process. Reports coming in now suggest that Thailand might grant the foursome citizenship, without too much red tape.
The Thai citizenship laws are complex as they have been reworked quite a few times to reflect the situation on the border. A child born anywhere in the world becomes a Thai citizen if either parent is Thai. Local sources said that this does not hold if the other parent is an illegal alien—which could be one complication in the young football players’ case.
Now, with reports of Hollywood movies and TV shows coming their way, those fast-tracked passports might just come in handy for the boys.