Thai government denies charging 2,500 baht for airport transport for workers

[webfact]

 

The government’s deputy spokesperson clarified that the Ministry of Labour has no policy to charge 2,500 baht for airport transport for workers to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Karom Polphonklang insisted that the travel expenses for working in Israel depended on the exchange rate at that time.

 

The statement was made today, in response to a post claiming that those going to work in Israel need to prepare over 70,000 baht, including 2,500 baht airport transport for workers from the Ministry of Labour (Din Daeng, Bangkok) to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 

Karom stated that the Job Placement Department of the Ministry of Labour has verified the information and clarified that it is incorrect. The total cost of travelling to work in Israel is approximately 71,020 baht (US$1,956), depending on the exchange rate, and there are no other expenses except for the following:

1. Pre-travel expenses as paid, including a criminal background check fee of 100 baht (US$ 2.75), a passport application fee of 1,500 baht, a health check fee of 3,250 baht, a one-way airfare from Thailand to Israel of approximately 25,000 baht and a foreign employment fund membership fee of 400 baht, reported KhaoSod.

 

by Nattapong Westwood

Picture courtesy of prachachat

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-10-16

 

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[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

1. Pre-travel expenses as paid, including a criminal background check fee of 100 baht (US$ 2.75), a passport application fee of 1,500 baht, a health check fee of 3,250 baht, a one-way airfare from Thailand to Israel of approximately 25,000 baht and a foreign employment fund membership fee of 400 baht

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The total cost of travelling to work in Israel is approximately 71,020 baht (US$1,956), depending on the exchange rate, and there are no other expenses except for the following:

The figures do not add up to 71,020 or anyway near?

[klauskunkel]

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

 

The figures do not add up to 71,020 or anyway near?

because it's a "government clarification"

[brianthainess]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

a health check fee of 3,250

That sounds like a private hospital rip off to me for just a 'check' 

[khunjeff]

The real question is, why do the workers pay anything? Why doesn't the government require that all expenses be paid by the employer?

[retarius]

Why should it be free? They chose to go there. Pay your own way back.

[geisha]

The person who writes these articles needs to go back to journalism school. Some of the latest ones make no sense at all.  

[NextG]

16 hours ago, hotchilli said:

 

The figures do not add up to 71,020 or anyway near?

You need to actually click through to the article…

[realfunster]

23 hours ago, khunjeff said:

The real question is, why do the workers pay anything? Why doesn't the government require that all expenses be paid by the employer?

Quite. There’s a whiff of exploitation here..including a THB 40k fee when arriving in Israel. It also seems odd that they are buying one-way tickets, would have thought a 1 year open return would be a better idea, and cheaper. 
 

The denial from the Minister is on the weak side and frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone, somewhere in the Ministry had decided an exorbitant and mandatory airport transfer was a good way to get their slice of the money pie.