Thailand Takes Action Against Fraudulent Finland Job Offers

[snoop1130]

 

Thailand is cracking down on local agents who tricked Thai people into thinking they secured jobs as berry pickers in Finland. This move comes after 43 people were stopped at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday, July 20, just before their flight to the Nordic country.

 

The Department of Employment started the probe after learning about Thai citizens allegedly going to Finland for wild fruit-picking jobs. The workers were supposed to fly on QR837, with a stopover at Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

 

The authorities detained 43 individuals, including seven women, believed to have been conned by the scheme. Somchai Morakotsriwan, the head of the Employment Department, confirmed on Sunday that all those detained confessed to being part of this plan.

 

Somchai declared that their backgrounds are being checked, and it is thought that most of them were tricked into working illegally in Finland.

 

"The practice of sending workers to Finland as wild fruit pickers has been temporarily halted. Talks between the two countries aim at revising rules to favor the workers," he said.

 

 

He insisted that employers should respect these new terms and show commitment to fighting human trafficking and protecting Thai workers' rights.

 

On March 15, Finland announced the suspension of Schengen visa applications for wild berry pickers from Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar for the summer harvest season.

 

This move followed another announcement by Finland's Foreign Affairs Ministry in February 2023, tightening visa processing for berry pickers. Last year, serious criminal allegations, including human trafficking, prompted a reevaluation of the visa rules to factor in the risk of worker exploitation and human trafficking, Somchai highlighted.

 

This year, Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is working with researchers from Pellervo Economic Research PTT, studying the consequences of different regulatory actions before further policy changes.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-07-22

 

- Cigna offers a range of plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Pouatchee]

Quote

 Last year, serious criminal allegations, including human trafficking, prompted a reevaluation of the visa rules to factor in the risk of worker exploitation and human trafficking, Somchai highlighted.

 

and what would the thai migrants be doing... really?

sex trade?

[nakhonandy]

I doubt that this is restricted to Finland.

I'm curious, how easy is it to get visas for these non existent jobs?

[Dcheech]

4 hours ago, nakhonandy said:

I'm curious, how easy is it to get visas for these non existent jobs?

They are sold in thailand, by thai people, to thai people. You almost do not get that fact in the news article above. The Thai people who do these scams seem to have protection. I wonder why that is?! 

[Bday Prang]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The authorities detained 43 individuals, including seven women, believed to have been conned by the scheme. Somchai Morakotsriwan, the head of the Employment Department, confirmed on Sunday that all those detained confessed to being part of this plan.

 

Somchai declared that their backgrounds are being checked, and it is thought that most of them were tricked into working illegally in Finland

So were the 43 "detained"  part of the plan, like they confessed ?       or were they victims having been  conned into working illegally in finland ?   In which case why were they detained in Thailand ?   Another world class piece of journalism   

[hotchilli]

I don't understand why Thais who have past knowledge of what happens in Finland with the berry pickers want to go there to suffer the same fate.

[Dcheech]

 

4 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I don't understand why Thais who have past knowledge of what happens in Finland

"What happens in Finland" ????

They get scammed by Thais in Thailand. if they can get to Finland, good chance they can make money. Why they believe Thais selling them visas, is a good question and one the news media seems to hide. Again wonder why these scamming Thais get protected by the media and government.  It could be, their position in Thai society protects them even though they do evil scamming.


 

[john donson]

if you have to pay, to work, you are doing it wrong

[Lorry]

I cannot figure out this story. 

Can someone please explain what's going on?

I understand poor Thais get scammed by rich Thais (normal) who sell them a visa.

Is that a real visa?

Why do the poor Thais get arrested,  what did they do wrong? 

I understand that the scammers don't get arrested,  they are rich (normal)

[huruukko]

21 hours ago, Lorry said:

I cannot figure out this story. 

Can someone please explain what's going on?

I understand poor Thais get scammed by rich Thais (normal) who sell them a visa.

Is that a real visa?

Why do the poor Thais get arrested,  what did they do wrong? 

I understand that the scammers don't get arrested,  they are rich (normal)

Normal year there around 2500 Thai / Burmese people come Finland pick berries from Forrest and they sell them to whosaler. Best pickers can make around 200 000 baht / month. Season around 2 month. ( Finland every human right is collecting berries and mushrooms... In Forrest). Most companies treat pickers well but like every business there is cheater's and because it's nature,some years different how much berries in Forrest also salary depends how much you collect berries. Last year Thai labor ministry get know that some pickers not get treated well, inform that Finland and police start investing what happens, they find problem both country, some companies in Finland cheating and also some agents who helped people get visa etc cheat pickers, also some government officer get busted both country. That why Finland change law, before can work freelancer but now have to have working contract and working permit to do this work and get also guarantee salary... because before it's was much easier to come, not so much paper work it's go quite well, this year papers get stuck both country government office and pickers can't come, companies are deep <deleted> because no pickers and that why they try not follow rules... That how situations is now..

[Lorry]

49 minutes ago, huruukko said:

Normal year there around 2500 Thai / Burmese people come Finland pick berries from Forrest and they sell them to whosaler. Best pickers can make around 200 000 baht / month. Season around 2 month. ( Finland every human right is collecting berries and mushrooms... In Forrest). Most companies treat pickers well but like every business there is cheater's and because it's nature,some years different how much berries in Forrest also salary depends how much you collect berries. Last year Thai labor ministry get know that some pickers not get treated well, inform that Finland and police start investing what happens, they find problem both country, some companies in Finland cheating and also some agents who helped people get visa etc cheat pickers, also some government officer get busted both country. That why Finland change law, before can work freelancer but now have to have working contract and working permit to do this work and get also guarantee salary... because before it's was much easier to come, not so much paper work it's go quite well, this year papers get stuck both country government office and pickers can't come, companies are deep <deleted> because no pickers and that why they try not follow rules... That how situations is now..

Thank you for explaining. 

 

So, now, they can still go to Sweden?

Which is government-sponsored human trafficking?

https://www.nationthailand.com/special-edition/sustainability/40035574