Regional News

At Thai Border, Workers Speak Of Coordinated Raids, Extortion

Workers wait for a Thai immigration police truck to depart for the Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo province on Tuesday

SA KAEO – As a caged immigration police truck pulled up to the police station here, Sin Many sprang up from his seat, relieved that his ordeal was nearly over. In less than an hour, he and around 50 others would cram into the Cambodia-bound truck, cross the border, and arrive home at last.

“We stayed on the floor last night,” he said, explaining how his group of detainees arrived too late to be processed and had to sleep in the concrete courtyard of the Sa Kaeo province immigration police station.

“They didn’t arrest us, but in that area we heard of Thai military arrests and volunteered to come back,” said the 36-year-old fisherman.

As over 100,000 migrant workers have streamed back to Cambodia this week to flee a feared crackdown by the military junta that seized power in Thailand late last month, Thai immigration police have become adept at processing and transporting workers.

Mr. Many was swiftly loaded onto a police truck for the final 10-km journey to the border as another truckload of workers arrived from Hua Hin, groaning and stretching as they spilled out of the truck after a seven-hour journey with no stops.

The Thai military government has denied any policy to crack down on illegal migrants, and insisted in a statement last week that claims of arrests or violence against workers were groundless.

Instead, the National Council for Peace and Order, as the junta has dubbed itself, said it had merely embarked on a “regularization” program of foreign workers by ordering employers to compile lists of migrant laborers and submit them to Thai authorities.

But despite the NCPO’s assurances, on-the-ground implementation of the directive has involved arrests and attempts at extortion, Cambodians inside the Sa Kaeo police compound said.

Rim Khim, 25, said he and 34 other fishermen were arrested in a raid carried out by Thai soldiers.

“If we stayed on the boat, it’s OK. But we climbed onto the bank and they arrested us,” said Mr. Khim, who added that there was no violence but soldiers extracted 3,000 baht (about $92) per person in “fees.”

“They asked our bosses to pay the workers, then took the money,” he said.

“They took it when they were making our papers,” explained Nom Bora, 27, another fisherman.

Workers who didn’t have enough were forced, ironically, to have the money remitted to them from family in Cambodia. Mr. Bora said he had 4,500 baht (around $139) sent to him to pay off the soldiers.

“They made arrests only to take the money,” said Noeu Savorn, a 38-year-old waitress who was arrested along with five others during a raid on her restaurant. Ms. Savorn was forced to pay 4,000 baht (around $123) in fees.

“When we’re working, we keep the money with our bosses, but when they arrested us, the soldiers just took it all,” she said.

Between 300,000 and 400,000 Cambodians are currently working in Thailand, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said Tuesday in a speech at a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.

He said the Thai junta must take responsibility for the mass exodus of workers from Thailand to Cambodia this week, which has seen at least 150,000 migrants cross the border for fear of arrest. At least eight Cambodians have been killed and 19 injured in traffic accidents while fleeing.

“I think that leaders of the Thai military must be responsible for all the problems that happened, including the deaths,” he said. “In fact, they are illegal [workers], but comparing illegality with people’s lives, they cannot be compared with each other. Human life is very valuable.”

“In the future, if our people want to go work abroad, I appeal to them not to go illegally,” Mr. Kheng said, adding that the Interior Ministry must be more receptive to common complaints from migrant workers that Cambodian passports are too costly and difficult to obtain.

As perhaps 60 people disembarked from the truck coming from Hua Hin on Tuesday, Thai police rapidly lined them up and took down their details. The office had processed 74,241 people as of Monday—a figure far below Poipet City authorities’ count of 151,180 incoming workers.

While police refused to speak to reporters, they permitted interviews with returning migrant workers. Squatting silently in three straight lines, deportees spoke in hushed tones as Thai police walked past handing out cups of water.

“In the political chaos, the military arrived to arrest people; they came to crack down on another restaurant and we heard that if you run, they’ll shoot. So we were afraid,” said Chea Chieng, a waitress in Hua Hin province who voluntarily turned herself in to local authorities.

“I don’t have anything—papers, passport—so I was very afraid…. They warned me, even though I speak Thai [I’d be arrested]. We have no choice, so we surrendered to the soldiers.”

At the Hua Hin military office, she said she and others waited until 2 a.m., when they were loaded onto the caged police truck where they would remain trapped until nearly 9 a.m.

“They didn’t make any stops. If you have to go to the toilet, they won’t stop. So we just stay patient until we’re here,” she said with a shrug.

In less than an hour, the group from Hua Hin had been loaded onto another police truck and sent to the border. But police, too, appear well aware of the stories the returning migrants are telling.

Before sending one truck on its way, an unseen Thai officer could be heard shouting: “Don’t talk about chasing and shooting by the Thai military.” By Saing Soenthrith

Regional News

Thai Immigration Police Detain Over 26,000 Illegal Migrant Workers

Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.

Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.

“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”

Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.

Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.

It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.

Migrant Workers to be Deported

According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.

Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.

Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.

He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.

All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.

According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.

Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.

“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.

Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers

The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.

Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.

Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.

According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.

However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.

“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

News

High School Student Dies After Being Electrocuted By School Water Dispenser

14-year-old boy was electrocuted by a water dispenser: File Image

Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.

According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.

According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.

According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.

The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.

Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.

The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.

According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.

The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.

Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.

Electrical accidents in Thailand

Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.

Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.

Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.

The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.

Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

News

Thailand’s Tourist Police Crackdown on Tourist Scammers in Pattaya

Tourist Police Pattaya: File Image

Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.

Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.

He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.

He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.

Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.

Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

Police Chief Reinstated

In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.

Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.

The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.

Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.

Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.

On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.

Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.

Source: Bangkok Post