Ukrainian Man Held Hostage By Thai Employer For 14 Years

[RKASA]

One of the reports I heard said 14 years ago he had medical expenses as a result of an accident at the same type factory. A factory owned by the same person and has been working off the expense of the bill which include owners loses as they blamed him for it and maybe were to cheap to pay for insurance.

So its private prison labor. He was watched 24/7 by guards only allowed to buy stuff from vending stalls at the site. (maybe also owned by the same person) Now that starting to sound vary Thai to me. Just how rich has the engineer made the owner in 14 years of free work. Its a long shot after 14 years but not impossible to have happened.

[sirchai]

this 'story' smells like 50.000 tons of rotten fish

I don't think that he knew where he was....he might have thought the rotten fish was something else that brings foreigners to Thailand. ......:jap:

[sirchai]

If he had been a Pole he could have vaulted over the fence

He'll find Asylum in Europe...I'm pretty sure the U.K needs people like him....:jap:

[GentlemanJim]

I am staggered by some of the replies on this forum. 90% of all the expat population in the bars of Bangkok and Pattaya may well claim to be 'ex -special forces but I can't tell you anything - official secrets you know", but this is just a normal guy, who may well have been held under duress and by armed henchmen. There are likely forced/slave labour victims all over Asia let alone Thailand. As someone has already pointed out, why all the sympathy when Thais are discovered as having been held prisoner abroad. Why didn't they just 'get up and walk out'?? When you lose all hope you lose everything!

Some would benefit a little more from reading into this more than what is contained on this forum. The guy was UKRAINIAN, he was not Russian. At the time of his disappearance there was NO Ukrainian Embassy in Thailand. His family did report him missing to Interpol. There was little else a poverty stricken family in the Ukraine being led by a 14 year old girl could do. meanwhile some guy may well have been locked up realising there was nobody able to come looking for him.

Give it a rest guys and show some compassion until ALL the facts are out. You're like a pack of wolves.

[arthurwait]

Is the factory owner eventually a Thai-CHINESE? My wife told me once funny stories of children hold in factories all over Thailand and forced to work for a little bit or no money at all.

How things like these can be possible without the authorities know about it? ....or do they just close both eyes for a little bit tea money?

BTW, the good thing to the story is that there is a maximum overstay fee of 20.000.- Baht ONLY

[housepainter]

1991 and Ukraine gains independence from Russia. It had ample time to know where it's citizen's were travelling unless things work very differently. Perhaps they do.

I don't think Ukranian engineers travel straight to jobs in Thailand, specialist or not.

The clue to some of this is that the letter was posted by an illegal immigrant worker, a Burmese. The Thais don't seem to win many awards for their treatment of Burmese workers. So perhaps that guy too was another one who was forced labour. The Ukranian would have been isolated by language and culture.

What lends the story credence is the fact that the embassy got involved. However, like any story the truth could be distorted or the whole thing a piece of fiction.

Photos and a interviewed response from Police, the victim himself and the embassy is needed. But I wouldn't write it off as being not credible. The Thais have no great human rights or labour record per se.

[Chupup]

Lot of people jumping on the badwagon accusing the guy mof trying to cover up an overstay.

Commenbts imply that it is impossible - why? Because he didn't escape? Where would he go? Assuming he speaks no Thai, no English, only his native tongue - and not knowing that the Ukrane now has an embessy here - with threats that the police would just return him because they are on the payroll - with a locked door at night in his cell - possibly with fear that others he lived with (same situation?) woulkd suffer if he did escape - and so on, its not hard to see why he didn't escape. There are all sorts of mental issues too that arise from long captivity - think of that Austrian who locked his own kids up in the basement and raped them and and kids by them, for a similar amount of time - no one else knew (even mum apparantly) and such a lonmg time before an escape there too (and those kids spoke the local lingo and lived in a country with decent police force.

I have the feeling either a lot more facts will come out and then we will know (and I suspect that there is something to his story) or it will disapear from the lime light completely.

Reminds me of the Thai/Filipino "maids" that get the same imprisonment/no pay treatment in the middle east (documentary on it a while back).

I"m with you on this, But, in 14 years i would have thought he could have learnt a little thai ??

[moe666]

I have seen some interesting post over the years here but some of the ones about this story and this guys misfortune are a bit over the top.

[jboras]

Oh WOW!

Now I know what to do next time I overstay my Visa.

The skinny 60Kg Thai held me 120Kg farang hostage! He beat me! Did not pay me.

Come on I only overstayed 14 years... I deserve compensation.... surely I don't need to pay for my overstay..!!!!

Wow is me!

Give us a break! Couldn't he think of a better story?

[peecee]

he will pay now for overstay and working without permit. The factory owner 4 sure made nothing wrong...

Sure!

[webfact]

Ukrainian claims years trapped in Thai factory

BANGKOK, January 24, 2011 (AFP) - A Ukrainian engineer has complained to Thai police claiming he was subject to more than a decade of forced labour at a factory in the kingdom, a consular official and police said Monday.

Anatoliy Vdovychenko, 57, began work for a Thai national building an oxygen-producing factory in 1996, and only managed to escape earlier this month after his embassy was alerted, Ukrainian consul Constantine Ivaschenko said.

Three months into the job he burned his face and arms in an accident and was unable to travel home, but his employer stopped paying him and took his passport in 1998 without ever returning it, Ivaschenko explained.

"He was constantly under surveillance so he couldn't leave the factory," the consul told AFP, saying Vdovychenko also accused his employer of intimidation and threatening him if he tried to leave.

"He threatened to kill him, that's why he was afraid to leave the factory. He didn't have a passport, he didn't have money," he said.

"He had some Russian books with him but even these books were destroyed by the (factory) owner, who tried to psychologically isolate him from the outer world."

Ivaschenko said he was contacted by Ukraine's interior ministry after they received a letter from someone at the factory revealing the situation, and he subsequently got in touch with the factory owner.

"After I spoke politely with him and then threatened to go to the police, he let him go," he said.

He said Vdovychenko did not want to stay in Thailand but wanted adequate compensation for years of unpaid work.

The engineer visited Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Monday to explain what happened to him, according to Songsak Raksaksakul, head of the DSI's foreign affairs division.

"Even though he had not been chained, he received treatment which could be described as being detained," he said.

"The DSI is investigating and expects to take a couple days to establish the facts," he added.

The factory owner could not immediately be reached for comment.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-24

[mark2552]

This Urkranian guy would make a great Tha Cop...especially with a story like this! They should recruit this guy, pin a badge on him, and let him do all the investigations; especially the murder investigations.

[midas]

so...

He couldn't just leave from a factory, walk out - go to his embassy or the police.. and he never had the opportunity for 14 years.

because they were guarding his door night and day?

lol

Well if was held captive in a basement id belive it,

But as he was forced to work in a factory, and since he had no ties or immediate family in thailand, then what threats exactly are we talking about?

unless of course its, we know the police - if you run to them we will have you thrown in jail because your papers or overstay is wrong.

surely he had more sense...

and why didnt his real family make any equiries about his whereabouts? or he tell them about him being in Thailand for work?

A story like this is just a fairytale - unless someone wants to actually report the facts... its a waste of my day reading it...

You summed up my thoughts on this. If he wanted to leave he could have.

An engineer educated under the Soviet education system would be a far from unintelligent person.... yep i dont believe him

[mark2552]

If you can swallow this guy's story, I've got some swamp land in the U.S.A. in the state of Florida that you can buy for a song and a dance!

[metisdead]

Several posts which were just somebody elses quoted post with no additional comments added by the posting member have been removed. If you're going to reply to a post, add some comments or the quote only will simply dissappear.

[warfie]

sounds like a good description of marriage to me

me too

[ignoramus]

If you ever wondered what the word "surrealism" meant this is the perfect example. The funniest story I think I'll ever read, from anywhere.

[asiawatcher]

Let this one play out - it should be interesting ...

Indeed an amazing story. But one day later NOTHING. No follow up, zilch. On the face of it this is an story of a 'white slave' and we have not any of those for yonks. Perhaps its all being saved up for next Sunday or an exclusive in the Ukraine because i could easily have read a longer interview with the guy

Maybe after all this time he has learned to speak Thai and has not had need for his mother tongue. Maybe he simply is not talking. Agree - one day later - and let's see what tomorrow brings - maybe after all - a false accusation? As was stated ion other posts - can't believe his family let it rest for 14 years!

[spirit47]

I don't wonder about this, when I see some manufacturies and people working there. It's like another world, people live and die there, small villages with ugly houses from old wood, metall and plastic. Upside the big roads you will find them, and sometimes there will be a reason to hide them...

Maybe we will not hear from this man when they make agreement, I think that he paid his hospital bill after 14 years allready...

[swerver]

Wow just when ya think u heard it all something like this comes up. Best guess is his Thai girl friend held him hostage........

This is either a big hoax or this guy is S-T-U-P-I-D. Really looks like an excuse to get out of an overstay.

Stupid?

I don't think so.

Being Ukranian not familiar with English language he most likely got YEARS confused with months or weeks after the emotion of his Thai (LoS) girl friend tossed him out and he was trying to figure out how to get the overstay taken care off.

[aNoma]

Reading answers and comments on these forums I can't help but notice that there are many expacts here in Bangkok who are flying their high horses showing a typical behavior of an upstart, a sudden raise to power. And I know where it comes from - sudden wealth and an easy lift to stardom here from a place where they were just regular factory workers and not very sophisticated. Now, retired on pension, they would struggle in their home country but here - oh boy, so much wisdom and cynicism at it.

I am shocked to see how low the intellectual level of so many individuals living here is. But then they just brought it here from their home country. Sometimes this board reminds me of comments on Yahoo. Easy to judge, condemn, ridicule, and why? - I bet to make yourself feel better and bigger. Complaining about Thailand all the time, then complaining about other foreigners like yourself. haven't you people noticed that perhaps you paid your way to live here, but this is not your country! It is over my head why people can be so arrogant.

End of rant, but had to be done.

[moskito]

I don't wonder about this, when I see some manufacturies and people working there. It's like another world, people live and die there, small villages with ugly houses from old wood, metall and plastic. Upside the big roads you will find them, and sometimes there will be a reason to hide them...

Maybe we will not hear from this man when they make agreement, I think that he paid his hospital bill after 14 years allready...

Absoltutely! But stories like that nobody here is intrested in. Most of the members here prefer to belive they are living in happy happy lala Thai-land.

Things like this are just happen in countries like China or its satellite Thailand, where human rights are nothing worth for people from another countries, called ALIEN usually here in LoS

If I see the building places here in Phuket, where 12-14 y.o. boys and girls carrying cement and bricks for the Thai-Chinese construction companys, I belive everything but not in humatity or Authorities checking on them here.

[SteeleJoe]

Things like this are just happen in countries like China or its satellite Thailand

Yeah, you're right!

Well, except that it happens to millions in other Asian countries, Africa, the middle east, South America, North America and Europe...

[tonglen]

Let this one play out - it should be interesting ...

Indeed an amazing story. But one day later NOTHING. No follow up, zilch. On the face of it this is an story of a 'white slave' and we have not any of those for yonks. Perhaps its all being saved up for next Sunday or an exclusive in the Ukraine because i could easily have read a longer interview with the guy

he wrote a diary I found part of it on twitter

Day 235 This sucks

Day 835 This sucks

Day 1232 This sucks

Day 2235 This sucks

Day 4235 This sucks

Nice!

[Beetlejuice]

There are farangs in Thailand desperately seeking work and this guy had guaranteed employment for life.

So what’s his problem?

[leoalex]

this story can be true. and that ukrainian men can speak thai now (some words, related workjob/common phrases - but dont know all language). So many peoples here have idea what this story only to hide him overstay. But what if it true and later we will know more facts from news?

peoples here like to judge another peoples without any thinking! what can lead that 'nobrain downshifters' to simular situation(s) described at this forum and at criminal news. karma ©!

[IAMHERE]

Very odd.

It may be false, or true. It may be odd, or even. But one thing is obvious.

The Thai solution of the problem, -

The factory management is not at fault.

The owner is even less at fault.

The worker did overstay quite a bit.

Huge fine, or imprisonment for the culprit.

Or shut up and go back home.

TIT

Not without the Tea Money being paid. Even dead bodies and those that have been raped repeatedly don't leave Thailand without the Police and or Army being paid off. Dead and or mutilated just means you have to pay extra to get 'justice'. What a fuc_king country, maybe a step above Mexico but I'm beginning to doubt it

[webfact]

UPDATE

14-year slavery claimed

By Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

A Ukrainian man yesterday lodged a complaint with the Department of Special Investigation accusing the management of a gas-cylinder company in Pathum Thani of forcing him to work as a slave labourer for 14 years.

Anatoli Vdovichenko, 57, did not name the company or its owner but described her as a Thai-Chinese woman in her early 90s. The Ukrainian, reportedly an engineer specialising in installation of oxygen equipment, said he was paid a month's salary of Bt30,000 three times after beginning work in April 1996. The company then seized his passport and confined him to the factory compound near Nawa Nakhon Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani province, he claimed.

DSI agents said the company owners admitted to hiring Vdovichenko but gave no further details.

The company could be charged with employing an immigrant without a work permit, enslavement and other charges relating to human trafficking. "Seizing a passport without the holder's permission alone is a crime," an agent said.

Speaking to police about his escape, Vdovichenko said he got word to his sister in Ukraine telling her of his ordeal. Vdovichenko said he was finally freed on January 11 after the Ukrainian Embassy negotiated his release.

He said he wanted Bt7 million in unpaid salary.

-- The Nation 2011-01-25

[khaowong1]

Very odd.

very, very odd.. why didn't he just walk away? many questions here. very odd.

[khaowong1]

Very odd.

It may be false, or true. It may be odd, or even. But one thing is obvious.

The Thai solution of the problem, -

The factory management is not at fault.

The owner is even less at fault.

The worker did overstay quite a bit.

Huge fine, or imprisonment for the culprit.

Or shut up and go back home.

TIT

Not without the Tea Money being paid. Even dead bodies and those that have been raped repeatedly don't leave Thailand without the Police and or Army being paid off. Dead and or mutilated just means you have to pay extra to get 'justice'. What a fuc_king country, maybe a step above Mexico but I'm beginning to doubt it

Maybe a step above Mexico back in 1950, but Mexico moved on.