Thai Workers Return From Libya With Tales Of Robbery And Attacks

[Lite Beer]

More Thai workers return, with tales of robbery and attacks

THE NATION ON SUNDAY.

Forty-nine Thai workers evacuated out of Libya arrived home safely yesterday. Some said they were robbed or fled with their clothes only.

The Labour Minister said he expected another 10,000 Thai workers to be evacuated eventually.

The first batch of 33, who had worked on the Benina International Airport construction project and stayed near the construction site in Benghazi City, arrived at Suvarnbhumi Airport at 7am and were welcomed by Labour Ministry official Yup Nana, who gave each worker Bt2,000 for travel expenses to their homes upcountry.

The workers were advised to contact their provincial employment offices to request Bt15,000 in assistance money from the state fund assisting workers overseas. For those not wanting to return to Libya, the Employment Department will help them find new jobs.

Yup said an estimated Bt270 million would be spent to assist some 18,000 workers.

Yup also said the ministry would contact the Foreign Ministry to rent a ship to evacuate some 4,000 Thai workers from Libya, which would take at least two trips. He also said he had received a report that 23 Thai workers had already evacuated with their Malaysian employer to Tunisia and 28 others had evacuated with their Chinese employer to Athens. After their plane tickets are arranged they will fly home.

Two workers, Wanchai Panpin and Chup Tenglong, told reporters that the first 33 workers to arrive home were those who had won a draw. They packed up and got on board a bus arranged by their employer last Sunday to travel to the Egyptian border and then board a plane from Qatar to Bangkok. The journey wasn't easy as the bus broke down, forcing them to sleep on the roadside and eat only water and bread. To make matters worse, the bus was robbed by a third party - neither soldiers nor protesters - taking the workers' cash and phones. But no Thais were hurt, they said.

Another worker, Wichai Boonraksa, 29, said many Thai workers remained in Libya and didn't dare to leave their construction camps. At night some worker camps have been attacked and their occupants robbed. Some of those who got out had no time to grab anything but some clothes.

Wichai, who worked in Libya for a year, is Bt70,000 in debt. He borrowed Bt140,000 to fund his travel to work in Libya. He said he wasn't sure if he would go back to Libya later on.

Worker Rob Homniyom had a tearful reunion with his wife, his mother and nine relatives, who rented a truck from Buri Ram to pick him up.

He said the violence in Libya spilled over to his worker camp and their food truck was robbed. Fortunately, he said, Libyan solders rescued them. He said he thought he wouldn't survive to come home. His wife Lamai said they were worried about Rob, whom they couldn't contact during the unrest. She said she was so happy to see him safe at home.

Labour Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said yesterday that he had the ministry spokesman Sutham Natheethong contact Tunisia for help after Thai workers crossed the border there.

Chalermchai said the ministry would arrange four ships to evacuate Thais from Tripoli and Benghazi and bring them to Malta and Tunisia. After that, Thailand will arrange about 10 chartered flights to bring some 3,000 people home.

Admitting that the lack of a Thai labour representative in Libya caused problems in checking workers' names, he said that things would be clearer today, and some 8,000-10,000 Thais could eventually be evacuated by boat and then plane.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said yesterday that Thai authorities had set up a temporary shelter in Tunisia to support Thai workers who were transported by land. Next week, workers will be evacuated by boat from Tripoli to Tunis and Rome. So far about 1,800 Thai workers had left Libya safely. About 500 had crossed the Tunisian-Libyan border, 347 crossed the Egyptian-Libyan border, while some 1,000 others were waiting for a ship at Benghazi, he added.

-- The Nation 2011-02-27

[Briggsy]

It's such a disgrace that even in this day and age, Thai overseas workers have to pay ridiculous fees to fixers, usually political cliques who have the upper hand in the Labour and Commerce Ministries, to have the opportunity to labour for years in Taiwan or the Middle East.

[craigt3365]

It's such a disgrace that even in this day and age, Thai overseas workers have to pay ridiculous fees to fixers, usually political cliques who have the upper hand in the Labour and Commerce Ministries, to have the opportunity to labour for years in Taiwan or the Middle East.

I have a relative in Israel who mortgaged his rice farm to get enough money to pay for his job there. If he has to come back soon, he will be out big money. Horrible what's happening to these poor folk.

[Credo]

Is the Thai government doing everything it can to get Thai workers out? It seems that it is just a trickle of the 23,000 workers.

I doubt the situation is going to get better in the near future and could deteriorate quickly. They might want to get them out before the anarchy begins. Foreigners really don't do to well in those situations. They become a big target and an easy target.

[Lite Beer]

Rescue operations for Thai workers in Libya now rely on cars

BANGKOK, 27 February 2011 (NNT)-According to the Ministry of Labor, a rescue operation for Thai laborers in Libya has been changed from picking them up by airplanes to cars.

The Labor Ministry’spokesperson Mr. Sutham Natheethong said it was impossible to send chartered flights to pick up the remaining 223 Thai labors in Libya as street protests in Tripoli had become aggressive. Under the plan, all remaining Thai workers will be transported by car to the border of Tunisia on a 6 hour trip.

They are expected to join 2,000 other Thai workers already waiting for help at the border. Meanwhile, 800 more Thais are now crossing the border to Egypt where 1,300 Thais are currently seeking a temporary shelter. Following the report, 600 other workers at Benghazi are having problems getting across the sea to Turkey while the Thai embassy is trying to solve the issue as quickly as possible.

On Monday, a ship will be waiting in Tripoli as the rest of the Thais in Libya are urged to be at the pier at the designated time. United Nations officials have also been dispatched to the Libyan-Tunisian border to rescue foreigners trying to leave the violence-stricken country.

-- NNT 2011-02-27

[AZBill]

Thank goodness they made it back ok. What an experience!

[alstaxi]

Rescue operations for Thai workers in Libya now rely on cars

BANGKOK, 27 February 2011 (NNT)-According to the Ministry of Labor, a rescue operation for Thai laborers in Libya has been changed from picking them up by airplanes to cars.

The Labor Ministry'spokesperson Mr. Sutham Natheethong said it was impossible to send chartered flights to pick up the remaining 223 Thai labors in Libya as street protests in Tripoli had become aggressive. Under the plan, all remaining Thai workers will be transported by car to the border of Tunisia on a 6 hour trip.

They are expected to join 2,000 other Thai workers already waiting for help at the border. Meanwhile, 800 more Thais are now crossing the border to Egypt where 1,300 Thais are currently seeking a temporary shelter. Following the report, 600 other workers at Benghazi are having problems getting across the sea to Turkey while the Thai embassy is trying to solve the issue as quickly as possible.

On Monday, a ship will be waiting in Tripoli as the rest of the Thais in Libya are urged to be at the pier at the designated time. United Nations officials have also been dispatched to the Libyan-Tunisian border to rescue foreigners trying to leave the violence-stricken country.

-- NNT 2011-02-27

Sounds like a job for the Phuket taxi mafia, robbery and attacks are their specialty.

[geriatrickid]

Libya's record on human rights and the support of terrorist groups and actions are no secret. And yet, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Thais that went to work for this regime, the same regime that killed 1200 bound prisoners in June 1996 in Abu Salim prison? Considering what the Libyan people have suffered at the hands of Gaddaffi and the foreigners that have propped up his regime over the years, I am not overly concerned by the inconvenience incurred.

Wait until the dust settles and the world discovers the secret military installations being build by the Chinese, the secret prisons being built by Canadian contractors, the military barracks and housing built by the Thais. These Thais and other foreigners crying the blues didn't seem to care much when they took jobs supporting a brutal dictator that enslaved his own people. The Thais and all the other foreigners are on the receiving end of what happens when you do business with thugs. If the Libyans are angry at foreigners, it is with good reason.

[cup-O-coffee]

It's such a disgrace that even in this day and age, Thai overseas workers have to pay ridiculous fees to fixers, usually political cliques who have the upper hand in the Labour and Commerce Ministries, to have the opportunity to labour for years in Taiwan or the Middle East.

I have a relative in Israel who mortgaged his rice farm to get enough money to pay for his job there. If he has to come back soon, he will be out big money. Horrible what's happening to these poor folk.

If these were Israeli workers, it would not be a question of dinking around to get the workers back; it would be a question for Libya to finance their return or else!

Where's the Thai navy? Where's the US support for this. This isn't something small to mince political agendas over.

And where's the UN in this.

Has anyone told Libya that they can have their disputes, but to leave the foreigner workers out of it, or else?

Isn't Libya trying to create a good image for itself in order to be considered for membership in some organization or something? I read that somewhere, but can't recollect at the moment.

Edited February 27, 2011 by cup-O-coffee

[geriatrickid]

No foreign country has the legal authority to impose itself upon Libya, because Libya is still a sovereign nation. This is for all intents and purposes a civil insurrection. To date, China and Russia have acted to block any legal blessing via the UN to authorize an intervention. Until the UN authorizes a humanitarian mission, the Thai navy cannot legally enter Libyan waters.

Think back to the airport seizures in Thailand when tens of thousands of foreigners were trapped in Thailand. All that the foreign governments could do was to arrange evacuation by alternative means. The responsibility for the foreign workers rests with the employers that sent these workers to Libya and it also rests with the workers themselves. No one put a gun to their heads and forced them to go work in Libya.

The Thai government does have some accountability in respect to is foreign policy as I believe that Thailand supported Libya's election to the UN human rights council, the same body that regularly condemns certain countries, which by some interesting reason do not have civil insurrections where foreign workers are robbed. Perhaps Thailand's foreign minister should be held accountable for his support of Libya and the current Thai worker predicament.

[bkksteviejai]

It's such a disgrace that even in this day and age, Thai overseas workers have to pay ridiculous fees to fixers, usually political cliques who have the upper hand in the Labour and Commerce Ministries, to have the opportunity to labour for years in Taiwan or the Middle East.

Sadly a very common story all over Asia with people desperate for work. I've read some real horror stories about Indian / Pakistani workers, particularly in the mid east.

[Credo]

Geriatrickid, I think your being a little too harsh on ordinary workers. People tend to follow the money unless their government invalidates their passport for certain countries. I believe this was done in the case of Iraq by a number of countries.

A number of countries have managed to get their people out. I assume they had the permission to dock or they hired local companies to transport them out. Employers have a responsibility, but in a situation like this one, they would have limited ability to do much.

The returning Thai workers has been a trickle and with 23,000, it would seem that the government should be more proactive on their behalf.

[Lite Beer]

PM: Labour Ministry has measures to support Thai workers evacuating from Libya

BANGKOK, Feb 27 -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that Thai workers will be evacuated from violence-plagued Libya back home by both air and sea, and that the Labour Ministry will assist evacuees in finding new jobs and with paying compensation so that they could support themselves and their families.

Mr Abhisit told journalists after the second group of 449 Thai workers arrived home from Libya earlier in the day that evacuations would be conducted both by air and sea for the safety of the workers, and chartered flights would be dispatched to pick them up.

The Labour Ministry has mapped out special measures to support the returnees, which will help find new jobs and pay compensation to the workers, he said.

Asked whether the ministry would have enough budget to pay the evacuated workers, as it would initially pay Bt10,000 to each of them, Mr Abhisit said the most important thing now is to bring home the Thai workers from that country.

As there are more than 20,000 Thai workers left behind in Libya, some of them may be reluctant to return home for the time being, Mr Abhisit said earlier during his weekly TV and radio address that both the Labour and Foreign Affairs ministries had coordinated with the workers’ employers and job placement services in moving the stranded workers to safe places and they would be evacuated "when the time is right.”

The cabinet is expected to consider allocating a special budget for use on evacuating the workers, he added. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-02-27

[HerbalEd]

Libya's record on human rights and the support of terrorist groups and actions are no secret. And yet, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Thais that went to work for this regime, the same regime that killed 1200 bound prisoners in June 1996 in Abu Salim prison? Considering what the Libyan people have suffered at the hands of Gaddaffi and the foreigners that have propped up his regime over the years, I am not overly concerned by the inconvenience incurred.

Wait until the dust settles and the world discovers the secret military installations being build by the Chinese, the secret prisons being built by Canadian contractors, the military barracks and housing built by the Thais. These Thais and other foreigners crying the blues didn't seem to care much when they took jobs supporting a brutal dictator that enslaved his own people. The Thais and all the other foreigners are on the receiving end of what happens when you do business with thugs. If the Libyans are angry at foreigners, it is with good reason.

How is it that the world has yet to discover these secret prisons and military installations and you know about them? Not saying your wrong, but what's the reliable source you have for this info?

[beano2274]

They keep going on about how they were robbed, but I saw photos of them with their gold talismann, gold rings and expensive telephones.

Maybe robbed by the people who got them the jobs, but not by the people fighting for a new leadership.

[kamalabob2]

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Our experience (over 30 years) is the best of our guarantee. You can see mega projects we concerned from following link

[siamiam]

It's such a disgrace that even in this day and age, Thai overseas workers have to pay ridiculous fees to fixers, usually political cliques who have the upper hand in the Labour and Commerce Ministries, to have the opportunity to labour for years in Taiwan or the Middle East.

I have a relative in Israel who mortgaged his rice farm to get enough money to pay for his job there. If he has to come back soon, he will be out big money. Horrible what's happening to these poor folk.

A couple of years ago, a young Thai man I was talking with at a bus stop in Bangkok, told me he was having second thoughts about embarking on an overseas job that he had the opportunity of. He was at the point where he was going to pay what I considered a surprisingly significant sum to the "fixers". To be honest, I can't remember what the amount was, where the job was, or who exactly he was going to have to pay the money to. I also don't remember how much money he was to be paid for doing the overseas work. I don't remember much, I know, but I do remember that the possible payoff for him didn't, in my mind, justify the risk. I remember that he was going for a two year commitment and that he would have to work about 16 months before he reached his 'break even' point. That is, he would of had to successfully complete 16 months of work before he had recouped the cost of his 'work expedition' and then started making the venture pay off. I told him I thought it was not a very good proposition and that just the fact that he was able to save the 'fixer fee' showed me that he was a capable person and doing well...without having to leave Thailand. I recommended that he stay home and continue doing what he had been that allowed him to save that much money. I asked how much it was worth to him to be able to continue enjoying his friends and family in his own country. I don't know what his eventual decision was. No doubt working overseas does pay off well for many Thai people; I have met some over the years that made their dreams come true this way. But, I think there are also many who come home with less, or the same, as when they left. I guess in some instances they end up working for free.

[geriatrickid]

Geriatrickid, I think your being a little too harsh on ordinary workers. People tend to follow the money unless their government invalidates their passport for certain countries. I believe this was done in the case of Iraq by a number of countries.

A number of countries have managed to get their people out. I assume they had the permission to dock or they hired local companies to transport them out. Employers have a responsibility, but in a situation like this one, they would have limited ability to do much.

The returning Thai workers has been a trickle and with 23,000, it would seem that the government should be more proactive on their behalf.

A valid criticism. No, I am not being wishy washy. However, I am being "foreceful" in my statement(s) to impress upon people not to lose sight of the fact that the companies and a great many people undertaking the projects and the work put ethics and corporate social responsibility to the side as they pursued profitable activities.Yes, I do feel for some of the manual labourers and their hardship, and yes the Thai government needs to help them if the Thai government encouraged those workers to go to Libya. However, the workers' plights is not an excuse for not taking responsibility for the decision to work in Libya. In Thailand we can choose to transact with the local thugs or we can steer clear of them. If we make the decision to transact and the business dealing then goes awry, should we complain? Yes, it's wrong, yes, we will have been ripped off, but we made the decision to deal with a thug. In the case of Libya, people knew what Libya was and what the conditions in that country were.

How is it that the world has yet to discover these secret prisons and military installations and you know about them? Not saying your wrong, but what's the reliable source you have for this info?

A good example is that of SNC-Lavalin that has been forced to confirm that it has a contract to build a detention centre in Libya, The CBC broke the story and the company offered this;

"We think this is an important step forward for this country and an opportunity for us as a company to share values that we think are essential to all citizens of the world," Leslie Quinton, the company's vice-president of global communications said in an email Thursday.Quinton denied reports that SNC-Lavalin was concealing the project."It is one of the thousands of projects we work on yearly, not all of which are announced by press release." Of course it wasn't released to the press as the the company would have come under heavy public condemnation had the Canadian public been aware of the company's activities in Libya. Mr. Quinton's statement is a crap attempt to wiggle out of a PR mess.

Chinese companies are reported to have $21 billion of contracts to develop infrastructure in Libya, with Italian, Turkish and Russian companies also taking other major participations. The Chinese projects include those projects that would not have been allowed by western countries that had some oversight and were subject to a bit of public scrutiny. Buried in the railway, oil and "residential" construction projects of China are military infrastructure projects. The public is not aware of these projects for the same reason(s) it is difficult to know what Chinese spending on its military apparatus is: The Chinese do not allow public scrutiny, nor do the Chinese release information. There is a reason why China, Russia, Italy and Turkey have thwarted western efforts to move against the Libyan regime.

[hanssna]

hope they can all make it back here soon!

Anyway; why would you leave Thailand to work in Lybia.. brrr.

[Oberkommando]

Libya's record on human rights and the support of terrorist groups and actions are no secret. And yet, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Thais that went to work for this regime, the same regime that killed 1200 bound prisoners in June 1996 in Abu Salim prison? Considering what the Libyan people have suffered at the hands of Gaddaffi and the foreigners that have propped up his regime over the years, I am not overly concerned by the inconvenience incurred.

Wait until the dust settles and the world discovers the secret military installations being build by the Chinese, the secret prisons being built by Canadian contractors, the military barracks and housing built by the Thais. These Thais and other foreigners crying the blues didn't seem to care much when they took jobs supporting a brutal dictator that enslaved his own people. The Thais and all the other foreigners are on the receiving end of what happens when you do business with thugs. If the Libyans are angry at foreigners, it is with good reason.

Simply this.

[dumball]

'beano2274' timestamp='1298808059' post='4247147']

They keep going on about how they were robbed, but I saw photos of them with their gold talismann, gold rings and expensive telephones.

Maybe robbed by the people who got them the jobs, but not by the people fighting for a new leadership.

 Thai complaining about being attacked and robbed as visiting workers to a foreign land , do you not think then that this is the time to begin appreciating what Thai themselves in fact do to visitors to their own land ? Most visitors to Thailand bring money INTO country which benifits Thai in general , take a good long look into the mirror on the wall , you will be surprised at what you see people of Thailand , please do not forget to include those visitors/expats who even lose lives for the gain to Thai , he who casts the first stone ????????????

 Do not feel sorry for you and the lot you chose for YOURSELF mr Somchai .