Embassy assists arrested Thais in Pakistan

BANGKOK, June 11 (TNA) - The Thai Embassy in Islamabad is coordinating with concerned Pakistani government agencies to assist five Thai students who are now in detention in Pakistan on charges of carrying a pistol before boarding a flight home on June 8. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sek Wannamethee, who is also Director-General of the ministry's Department of Information, told journalists of the move on Thursday. The spokesman stated that the five students were apprehended by Lahore International Airport's officials on last Monday night, after one of them was found carrying a 9mm pistol and cartridges before boarding a flight to Thailand. According to the spokesman, the Thai Embassy to Pakistan has been assigned to provide assistance to the five Thai students and to ensure that they receive justice in accordance with Pakistani legal procedures. The spokesman said that officials of the Thai Embassy in the Pakistani capital have requested for a visit to the detained five students, but an approval has not yet granted. Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd later told reporters that all the five students are in good health, while being detained by Pakistani authorities, noting that the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs will keep monitoring the situation closely. (TNA)