Thailand prepares for refugee influx

More than 200 Burmese people crossed the Thai border at Mae Sot in Tak province this morning - but only to buy commodities and medicines to stockpile at home.

Thai authorities in Tak and elsewhere on the Burmese border, however, are taking no chances and preparing for a possible refugee influx if the situation continues to get out of hand inside Burma.

Authorities report that Burmese have travelled to Mae Sot via the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge from early this morning. Thailand put into effect a contingency plan called the "E-Border Pass Overview" to control both inbound and outbound trips at the border to a trickle.

As for merchants along the border, the province says they have delivered goods to Burma as usual up to this morning.