Thailand wants answers over berry pickers’ Covid-19 outbreaks in Finland

[webfact]

File photo of Thai berry pickers at work in Kärsämäki in September 2020. Image: Paulus Markkula / Yle

 

by Mette Larsen

 

Since the beginning of the month, over 200 berry pickers from Thailand have been diagnosed with Covid-19 while working in Finland and now Thailand has asked Finnish authorities for an explanation regarding the series of Covid outbreaks among the Thai nationals.

 

Local media YLE writes that it was reported on 17 August that two Finnish berry companies, Arctic International and Polarica, transported at least 260 foreign berry pickers from Lapland to eastern Finland even though most of them were infected by or exposed to covid-19.

 

Commenting on the ongoing situation regarding the infection amongst Thai workers in the country, Thailand’s Ambassador to Finland, Chavanart Thangsumphant, said that the Finnish berry picking firms are responsible for protecting the migrant workers’ health amid the ongoing covid-19 pandemic and that the companies have signed an agreement on this matter. The companies are obligated to provide appropriate treatment and compensation if migrant workers do get Covid as well as providing health insurance, accommodation, and transportation.

 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

 

Full story: https://scandasia.com/thailand-wants-answers-over-berry-pickers-covid-19-outbreaks-in-finland/

 

-- © Copyright ScandAsia 2021-08-21

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ukrules]

Migrant workers, they know the story - it's exactly the same here.

 

[kotsak]

The epitome of hypocrisy..

[Albert Zweistein]

The kettle blaming the pot for being black..........................

[klauskunkel]

"Thailand wants answers over berry pickers’ Covid-19 outbreaks in Finland"

Answer: Some Burmese migrants slipped over the border with Russia and selectively infected Thai berry pickers.

[tonray]

Maybe a better question is why in supposedly one of the most 'developed' economies in SE Asia, Thai citizens need to travel overseas to Scandinavia to work as farm laborers. 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

Migrant workers, they know the story - it's exactly the same here.

 

But worse here.

[mtls2005]

Transportation, tax, housing, then add in two week quarantine (no longer free) on return, they can't be clearing much?

 

 

 

[Gottfrid]

If it´s only a big outbreak among Thai berry pickers, then they already have their answer but are too thick to get it. One or more of them must have been carrying the infection when they arrived.

Moreover, it´s very interesting that Thailand is boasting another country is responsible for, must treat and give compensation to citizens from another country. How about all of us foreigners in Thailand, waiting for our vaccination that has been promised for a year. Are we also eligible for free treatment and compensation in we get Civid-19 while waiting?

[keithkarmann]

18 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Transportation, tax, housing, then add in two week quarantine (no longer free) on return, they can't be clearing much?

 

 

 

They borrow money for their trip and can't afford the payments when they return due to bad harvest. So the family is in debt and we know what happens after that.

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Thailand wants answers over berry pickers’ Covid-19 outbreaks in Finland

 

Finland wants answers over why so many of its citizens in Thailand are still waiting to receive a vaccine jab.

[ThaiFelix]

Judging from my experience yesterday I would imagine the Thais were not wearing masks.  My 1st stop was the local service station:  owner, wife, and two attendants, none had masks.  2nd stop local photo shop:  two in attendance, old lady had mask, young guy none.  3rd stop:  a govt office:  approx 6 in attendance all wearing masks however two of them, who I noticed were quite attractive ladies and wondered whether that was relative, wore their masks on their sleeves even when wandering back and forth to adjoining offices.  And friends call me paranoid coz I dont like to leave home?

Edited August 21, 2021 by ThaiFelix

[robert888d]

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

[Misterwhisper]

Meanwhile, Finland retorted with cynicism by asking Thailand how a serious outbreak among Burmese migrant workers in Samutsakhon in early April could possible have happened - for the Thai government has consistently insisted that all migrant workers in the country were well looked after. The Samutsakhon event is regarded as the start of Thailand's "fourth wave", which currently claims about 20,000 new infections and around 200 deaths every day. Reportedly, no berry pickers are among these casualties, but pretty much every other occupational profession imaginable.

Edited August 21, 2021 by Misterwhisper

[Scouse123]

6 hours ago, kotsak said:

The epitome of hypocrisy..

Yep,

 

They have no shame in reading the ' riot act ' to other countries under the pretext of protecting their own nationals but to hell with any migrants from other countries living and working in Thailand.

[Bluespunk]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand has asked Finnish authorities for an explanation regarding the series of Covid outbreaks among the Thai nationals

in Thailand. 

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, tonray said:

Maybe a better question is why in supposedly one of the most 'developed' economies in SE Asia, Thai citizens need to travel overseas to Scandinavia to work as farm laborers. 

Good rates of pay and working conditions probably cover much of that query.

[1FinickyOne]

4 hours ago, tonray said:

Maybe a better question is why in supposedly one of the most 'developed' economies in SE Asia, Thai citizens need to travel overseas to Scandinavia to work as farm laborers. 

Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round...

 

That said there are lots of Thai ladies in Finland already... 

[chalawaan]

7 hours ago, ukrules said:

Migrant workers, they know the story - it's exactly the same here.

 

Quick! Look over there! *Shoves Burmese fisherfolk under the bus*

[robblok]

2 hours ago, ThaiFelix said:

Judging from my experience yesterday I would imagine the Thais were not wearing masks.  My 1st stop was the local service station:  owner, wife, and two attendants, none had masks.  2nd stop local photo shop:  two in attendance, old lady had mask, young guy none.  3rd stop:  a govt office:  approx 6 in attendance all wearing masks however two of them, who I noticed were quite attractive ladies and wondered whether that was relative, wore their masks on their sleeves even when wandering back and forth to adjoining offices.  And friends call me paranoid coz I dont like to leave home?

Not sure where you are but in BKK i see almost everyone with a mask the only ones that did not have a mask were some construction workers.

[perconrad]

4 hours ago, tonray said:

Maybe a better question is why in supposedly one of the most 'developed' economies in SE Asia, Thai citizens need to travel overseas to Scandinavia to work as farm laborers. 

For information, Finland is not a part of Scandinavia, but it is a Nordic Country.

[LukKrueng]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Thailand wants answers over berry pickers’ Covid-19 outbreaks in Finland

 

Finland wants answers over why so many of its citizens in Thailand are still waiting to receive a vaccine jab.

Maybe because so many Thai citizens in Thailand are also waiting? 

[j.a.farang001]

5 hours ago, tonray said:

Maybe a better question is why in supposedly one of the most 'developed' economies in SE Asia, Thai citizens need to travel overseas to Scandinavia to work as farm laborers. 

Isn't it because the migrants from next door are cheaper labor than Thai workers?

[BangkokReady]

Surely they should be recommending that they seal the workers into their accommodation and surround it with razor wire?

[trainman34014]

42 minutes ago, perconrad said:

For information, Finland is not a part of Scandinavia, but it is a Nordic Country.

Most Thai's don't even know where their own country is and couldn't show you it on a Map of the World !

[KannikaP]

7 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

"Thailand wants answers over berry pickers’ Covid-19 outbreaks in Finland"

Answer: Some Burmese migrants slipped over the border with Russia and selectively infected Thai berry pickers.

Burma (Myanmar) does not have a border with Russia.

[KannikaP]

51 minutes ago, perconrad said:

For information, Finland is not a part of Scandinavia, but it is a Nordic Country.

Geographically it isn't, but culturally, it is.    www.scandinaviastandard.com

[ourmanflint]

Quote

The companies are obligated to provide appropriate treatment and compensation if migrant workers do get Covid as well as providing health insurance, accommodation, and transportation

I'm sure Thai migrant workers get treated better than any migrant workers in Thailand. Two faced hypocrisy at it's best

[perconrad]

14 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Geographically it isn't, but culturally, it is.    www.scandinaviastandard.com

I disagree  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia

[klauskunkel]

23 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Burma (Myanmar) does not have a border with Russia.

hence: migrants