Prejudice and abuse of foreign workers "worse than ever" after Covid scare, reports Thai media

[webfact]

Prejudice and abuse of foreign workers "worse than ever" after Covid scare, reports Thai media

 

 

The plight of foreign workers - particularly those from Myanmar - featured in a Thai TV report after they found themselves singled out and blamed for the latest outbreak of Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon. 

 

One spoke of poor wages and abuse at the hands of a Thai employer that left her in tears. She has to stay to get money to send back to her country despite the racism which is worse than ever in the light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

One vegetable trader confirmed that his foreign workers face prejudice wherever they go. They are only trying to eke out a living in a foreign country, look after their families but they find themselves at the bottom of the pile.

 

People feel they are being made scapegoats for the disease outbreak.

 

PPTV 36 went to talk at A A Min in her ramshackle zinc sheet room that she calls home. A baby was asleep in a hammock. A temporary looking cooking area could prepare basic meals. Her husband was out at work as a construction worker. There are three children to support.

 

In bitty Thai - a second language for her - she explained how she had left her homeland to seek a better life in Thailand even though she had no knowledge of Thai language and little education. It represented a chance to at least earn some money as there was nothing for her at home. 

 

She imagined in her admittedly uneducated way that Thailand was the land of prosperity and that the people would be kind. 

 

She found this was a rose tinted view that had no basis in reality. 

 

She has now lived in Thailand for seven years.

 

Her first job as a maid got her just 1,500 baht a month, well below the legal minimum wage. 

 

She worked from dawn to dusk and had to suffer the abuse of her employer. She admitted that sometimes she was in tears from the insults and criticism she suffered. 

 

She was called "terrible" and almost blamed for coming to Thailand to seek a better life. She said she learned to take it on the chin, carry on and say nothing.

 

In Samut Sakhon where she lives there are 230,000 migrant workers, the most anywhere in Thailand. Of these about 212,000 are her compatriots, close to 10,000 are from Laos and around 8,000 are Cambodians. 

 

So far 900 have tested positive for Covid - most from Myanmar. 

 

Now in the current situation migrant workers are looked down on worse than before. Even though A is blameless because she has not travelled there from Myanmar recently she still gets blamed for bringing the disease in.

 

PPTV 36 also spoke to a market trader who deals in vegetables called Lert Yutimit who said that at least one foreign worker is at every place and he employs many. 

 

He said that no Thai will do the work for the money. He said that most Thais are prejediced towards migrants even though few in society actually know any migrant workers. 

 

Speaking ruefully about his employees he sympathized with their plight. 

 

Back with A the reporter said that she was just trying to protect her family from Covid and despite the hardship and abuse didn't want to go back home to Myanmar. 

 

She intended to stick it out and put up with her life in Thailand for the very same reasons that Thais work abroad or away from their home villages.

 

To send money back to her mother and father. 

 

Source: PPTV

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-12-23

 

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[Mr Meeseeks]

It was pretty obvious nationalism and xenophobia would reach unprecedented heights under this government, especially given the statements from the Deputy PM about dirty foreigners.

 

And you know what, it's only going to get worse.  

[Bangyai]

15 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It was pretty obvious nationalism and xenophobia would reach unprecedented heights under this government, especially given the statements from the Deputy PM about dirty foreigners.

 

And you know what, it's only going to get worse.  

 

Indeed. This government has not proved to be the best thing since sliced bread that many ( including TV posters ) naively supposed. The sooner it comes to its ignominious end , the better.

[DirtyHarry55]

The PM should come forward with the evidence he has that Foreign workers started this outbreak.

Because we already know the first cases were brought in by Thai workers crossing the border.

[RotBenz8888]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

So far 900 have tested positive for Covid - most from Myanmar. 

Maybe because they focus on testing people from Myanmar? 

[worgeordie]

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

Prejudice and abuse of foreign workers

They are even dumping them on the roadside,like they do with

their trash,will Thai's step forward and do their jobs,not at the

wages and conditions they are getting.

regards Worgeordie 

[PatOngo]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

She intended to stick it out and put up with her life in Thailand for the very same reasons that Thais work abroad or away from their home villages.

 

To send money back to her mother and father. 

Meanwhile the richest 1% control 66% of the countries wealth! Why are there so many temples in Thailand???

[Mr Meeseeks]

Karma will be when their economy completely collapses and there's mass protests throughout the country.

 

January will be epic.

[DirtyHarry55]

18 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Maybe because they focus on testing people from Myanmar? 

 

Yes and according to this thread only 397 were from Myanmar
https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1197989-thai-pm-blames-virus-surge-on-illegal-migration-hints-at-new-curbs/

 

Quote

More than 1,100 cases have been traced back to the now shuttered centre

and

Quote

Some 397 cases were migrants mostly from Myanmar,

 

So who are the other 703 cases Thai's?

 

[Natai Beach]

While there are some horror stories, millions of Cambodian, Burmese and Laotians get a much better life working for higher wages in Thailand than back home. 
 

They are queuing up to get over here for the better life that they can only achieve by working in Thailand and dragging themselves out of Third World poverty.
No one else is giving them such an opportunity.

 

Good workers get decent wages. 500 baht per day is normal in Phangnga for a strong or skilled worker. Some work “per meter” and get a lot higher than that.

 500 baht per day is more than twice they would get for similar work in Burma if they could even find it, which they can’t.

 

 

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

She found this was a rose tinted view that had no basis in reality

I can’t find the part about the rose tinted glasses in the link. Perhaps a bit of artistic license? 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

The PM should come forward with the evidence he has that Foreign workers started this outbreak.

Because we already know the first cases were brought in by Thai workers crossing the border.

That is a separate incident and is unrelated to the outbreak in Samut Sakhon. 

[Wiggy]

Surprise, surprise. Not. 

[ChrisY1]

Try being an Asian in many western countries...Australia for example!

[Benmart]

Many failed states have blamed foreigners, ethnic groups, religions and other things in order to deflect attention from internal shortcomings and problems. The playbook has merely been dusted off and updated for present day use.

 

The famous smile has soured into a grimace of scorn for the less fortunate.

[sammieuk1]

It's looking more like a Chinese province everyday ????

[Xonax]

It´s just modern day slavery!

[Fairynuff]

I make no excuses for this grotesque behaviour here, but it’s not unique to this country. When you have a president calling it the China virus and forever blaming China for anything and everything, the result is Asian Americans suffering abuse. When the UK voted to leave the EU the abuse started to fly with untold anecdotes of people being asked things like “why are you still here”

[bodga]

Im taking mine out right  now to thrash the living  daylights  out of them! Thatll  show  em

[MasterBaker]

i guess it's ok to abuse farangs. sometimes the best way to fight xenophobia by letting them to taste their own medicine

[johnnybangkok]

12 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

I make no excuses for this grotesque behaviour here, but it’s not unique to this country. When you have a president calling it the China virus and forever blaming China for anything and everything, the result is Asian Americans suffering abuse. When the UK voted to leave the EU the abuse started to fly with untold anecdotes of people being asked things like “why are you still here”

Couldn't agree more. Before we start having a go at the Thai's, many should look at their home countries who have embraced xenephobia through Brexit, the rise of the far right in Europe and downright racism with Trump. 
Illegal immigrants (or just foreigners in general) have been the butt of political expediancy for centuries and it doesn't look like it's going to change any time soon. 

[huangnon]

The Burmese have been the historic "patsies" to blame for this nation's supposed ills for centuries now.

I wonder how many Thais returning from Germany (e.g.) have brought the virus back with them; unimpeded by checks and quarantines?

[PGSan]

18 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

I make no excuses for this grotesque behaviour here, but it’s not unique to this country. When you have a president calling it the China virus and forever blaming China for anything and everything, the result is Asian Americans suffering abuse. When the UK voted to leave the EU the abuse started to fly with untold anecdotes of people being asked things like “why are you still here”

I think that this was why the UK voted to leave , or not?  To dehumanize non-local Europeans.

[swisstree]

I remember a friend of mine from Switzerland who came to visit Thailand with his family. They all felt in love with the country and told me how lucky i was to live there as people are all so nice, smiling, and were there is no racism. That was just funny to listen to them........

Glad i left few years ago. Spain is the new dream ????

[PGSan]

5 minutes ago, bodga said:

Looking for new  staff after only 2 weeks ..................again.

 

Get over your self and do your own skivying! 

[Lingba]

yes and the Thai women that snuck back in and tested positive was ok

[apetryxx]

This is a tragedy. Put yourself in their shoes. My heart goes out to these folks and if I can find a way to help I will.

[DirtyHarry55]

4 hours ago, Moonlover said:

That is a separate incident and is unrelated to the outbreak in Samut Sakhon. 

How do you know it's not related?

Where's the evidence the outbreak started with Migrant workers?

Maybe one of those Thai worker who illegally crossed the border went shopping at the Sea Food market who knows??
Most of the Migrant workers live in Thailand permanently and haven't crossed the border.

[Superphoenix]

6 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It was pretty obvious nationalism and xenophobia would reach unprecedented heights under this government, especially given the statements from the Deputy PM about dirty foreigners.

 

And you know what, it's only going to get worse.  

I still believe there are some smart Thais, a few... but there are. Otherwise, Thailand will fall deep. 

[lovethai123]

6 hours ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

 Thai workers

workers?  r u sure? seems like hookers to me 

[lovethai123]

3 minutes ago, Superphoenix said:

I still believe there are some smart Thais, a few... but there are. Otherwise, Thailand will fall deep. 

Thais and smart?