Radio Free Asia says that the number of North Korean escapees who illegally entered Thailand has grown 50 percent to some three-thousand this year.

An aid worker for a humanitarian organization helping North Korean escapees in northern Thailand told the broadcaster that the Thai government regards North Korean escapees as illegal immigrants and sends them to South Korea by way of deportation.

He said that two-thousand North Korean escapees were deported to South Korea by Thailand last year, predicting that the figure will reach three-thousand by the end of this year.

The aid worker said that severe food shortages and the aggravated economic situation are the biggest reasons why North Koreans depart their country.