Marine police intercepted 145 Rohingya illegal migrants, including two women and two children, in a boat off Sikao district yesterday.

The Rohingya were pushed back out to sea after being given food and water, Pol Col Arthit Damsanit, chief of Marine Police Division 9 in Kantang district, said.

He said a cruise boat had alerted officers after spotting the migrants' vessel floating not far from shore.

Pol Col Arthit said the Rohingya appeared tired and hungry. They had been two days without food after exhausting their supplies.

The migrants had set off from Myanmar and were on their way to Malaysia, he said. They were intercepted as they were preparing to stop at Koh Muk to ask for food.

Trang provincial governor Theerayut Iamtrakul said local administration officials were on standby to provide humanitarian assistance as needed.