Comatose worker flown home from Taiwan

By The Nation

 

 

A Thai worker, who fell into a coma in Taiwan, has been flown back to his hometown in Udon Thani province, thanks to help from various authorities and Thai donors.
 

Chatchai Karidee, who worked at a perfume factory in Taiwan, developed serious health problems when he dived into a local canal to find something to eat earlier this year. Some parasites reportedly entered his body during the dive, and then his brain.

 

Initial diagnosis suggested that he might be comatose for the rest of his life. 

 

After Chatchai’s family in Thailand learned of his condition, it called on the Thai authorities and the Thai public to help. 

 

Labour Minister Police General Adul Sangsingkeo then instructed relevant authorities to bring Chatchai back to Thailand. 

 

Chatchai arrived back in Thailand on May 15. He was immediately taken to Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok and then transferred to Ban Pheu Hospital in Udon Thani province on Saturday. 

 

“I am glad my son is back,” Chatchai’s mother Thongwon Kuridee said on Sunday. “I hope his condition will get better and better. Now, he can respond to us by blinking his eyes.”

 

Thongwon thanked the labour minister and all relevant officials who had helped bring her son back.

 

Udon Thani Governor Wattana Puttichart will today hand over cash raised through donations to Chatchai’s family.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30345851

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-21

Dive in to a local canal to find something to eat? Why in the world would he do that?
He had been going to Taiwan for working, and that must mean he was getting paid.
The guy never heard of the local market with an abundance of fresh food and vegetables?

unfortunately, the food budgets of many companies canteens are remarkably low.

Furthermore, whatever the reason, for sure it was an unfortunate accident and someone who gathered the courage to go work abroad for what he expected to be a dream salary got badly, almost lethally, injured.
Nothing funny about that.

20 minutes ago, KKr said:

unfortunately, the food budgets of many companies canteens are remarkably low.

Furthermore, whatever the reason, for sure it was an unfortunate accident and someone who gathered the courage to go work abroad for what he expected to be a dream salary got badly, almost lethally, injured.
Nothing funny about that.

No, absolutely not funny at all. What I stated above was very sad. If you have the brain to go work abroad to make more money, it can not be called an unfortunate accident to dive in to a dirty canal for food. That´s purely stupid and, as said, very sad.

Is this the same case where Thai workers ate fish despite being warned not to? Or another case where a Thai went foraging/hunting for food in an age-old tradition? If he was working in Taiwan it would have been for far higher wages than he would get in Thailand, otherwise why go there. So not being able to afford food to eat is a non-starter for me. Sadly, you can take a Thai out of Thailand but you can't take Thailand out of a Thai.

23 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Is this the same case where Thai workers ate fish despite being warned not to? Or another case where a Thai went foraging/hunting for food in an age-old tradition? If he was working in Taiwan it would have been for far higher wages than he would get in Thailand, otherwise why go there. So not being able to afford food to eat is a non-starter for me. Sadly, you can take a Thai out of Thailand but you can't take Thailand out of a Thai.

well, I do not know the particulars of this case but I have had people working for me who came through an agency, and upon arrival in the foreign country where they expected to make some 700 USD a month incl. food and board were told there had been a mistake, and they would get 350, less compulsory bed and food charge. ( The food according to people that understand how to run a workers' dormitory was an additional profit center.) 
Of course, upon arrival they were told they are free to take the plane back if they do not like the amended contract, what none of them could afford after some paying 800 - 1000 dollars to get that contract in the first place.
One of the brightest guys, who told me this, saved every penny he earned to pay back the loan that his family took to pay the broker for getting the contract, and to get the cheapest ticket home. He was lucky to get his passport back, and after about 6 months he left.
Others stayed for the contract but it took a hell of a lot of effort to keep these guys motivated.
So, when I hear about migrant workers that are looking for food, I remember this experience,
and understand why Phil Collins wrote Another Day in Paradise.

3 hours ago, KKr said:

So, when I hear about migrant workers that are looking for food, I remember this experience,
and understand why Phil Collins wrote Another Day in Paradise.

Thanks for your insight.

I found some of the posts quite embarrassing written by people who have no idea about the fate of these migrant workers.

 

And Taiwan is less than popular as a destination and known for the meager payment.

350 USD/11200 Baht!

It's a while ago that I was told it would be about 15000 Baht but rates may have changed.

And that's why no one from the family was eager to go there.

 

That the poor deceased had been fooled into "700 USD" is another story.

Many of those "agents" could simply be called fraudsters.