Enquiries About Thai Citizens Working In Overseas

[AngelofDeath]

I have 2 female friends whom I have known for more than 1 year. Recently, they told me they will have an opportunity to go to Taiwan to work in a big company which manufactures electronics products. They found this information on the web. They will be able to earn between 30,000 bahts to 50,000 bahts per month over there, depending on the duties they are assigned to because they were told, over there, there are a wide range of job positions.

Here is a quick background on them:

Both came to Bangkok to study and have attained a Degree.

Both are considered fresh graduates but now they are working as a street/shop vendor selling food/accessories

Earning between 8,000 baht to 10,000 baht per month

Both doesn't speak Mandarin and their English is not up to mark.

They have saved up enough for the initial fees that they will be required to pay.

They will be taking some kind of test 3 to 6 months later.

Obviously, the big money entices them to work there. However, a quick research tells me:

Quick research

1. They will most likely be working as factory workers.

2. The minimum wages in Taiwan is around 17,500 Taiwan dollars (around 18,400 Thai bahts) so it make no sense to pay them so much and also to pay them at a higher rate than the locals over there.

3. They might be required to mortgage their property or something valuable. Just in case they decided to quit the job, the property or whatever they mortgaged will belong to the agent or recruiter.

4. When they reach there (and they will be going together with other Thai citizens), they will be under some other people, most likely one of the employer in the company or maybe another agent.

5. Their living conditions will be poor such as 4 to 6 people living in one room, restriction of their freedom after working hours etc.

6. It will take them about 20 months to really earn decent money because they have to pay off some other fees.

7. The fees for the whole process(application process to work overseas) that I found is generally 70,000 bahts to 100,000 bahts -- a 20,000 bahts to 50,000 bahts difference.

The so-called opportunities:

There are some kind of tests in Bangkok held around the end of the year every year to alllow Thai citizens to have the opportunities to work overseas (They told me), They have to undergo some test (which I have no idea what they will be tested on) and if they pass, the agents will help them with the application process. My friends will then have to pay about 50,000 bahts(each person) to the agent and they will be able to work 2 - 3 years in Taiwan (They got the 50,000 bahts taken care of). Referring to the above, they didn't tell me they will be required to mortgage but I also didn't ask about it. As of now, they will be taking the test either in the next few months or end of year.

Main concern

I am worried that they will be sold off as prostitutes instead (worse case scenario but plausible). Once they are there, they are sitting ducks. Given the findings I have and based on my deductions, most likely the promised big money is just a mirage and their life won't be much better. I did hear good stories coming out of some Thai citizens working in Taiwan but that's only the minority, I believe.

Did anyone come across or heard of this before? I'm looking specifically at Thai citizens working in Taiwan. Google can only churn out so much information over my side and my friends don't want to divulge more information. I have a feeling that they think I'm a spoilsport.

I know they haven't take the test yet, so maybe they will fail the test and won't be able to work in Taiwan. But again, money talks almost everywhere. I know I sound like a pessimist but the promised big money throws up the red flag and I am very skeptical on this.

The concerns that I have is based on my findings, that's why I started this topic hoping someone out there can shed more lights on this situation and provide more accuracy on the information that I have found.

[mccw]

Best case, it's a scam; worst case, they'll be forced in to prostitution. It happens alot. I read in the newspapers many times where these agents take fees and when the time actually comes they just don't turn up. I've also come across several ladies who have gone to japan for a few years and come back with lots of money; the general consensus is they were " hostess" ; if u can't speak the language, never mind no relevant experience or qualifications, how else are u going to make a couple million bht in 5 years? I'd of thought that with all the media coverage people would be more wary; but the pull of big money obviously works. Maybe some just are not bothered how they get the big money just as long as they get it and the story is just a useful face saving line for friends and family.

If your friends really are set on it then at least advice them to take copies of the agents ID cards; if they refuse maybe this will prove to them it is dodgy.

The fact they ask for fee before test which they may fail and not go but loose the money anyway makes me think it's most likely a scam. No ones going to thaiwan n the job doesn't exist. But some immoral bastads will collect allot of 50,000bhts

[Soutpeel]

Any time there are agency fee's payable by the prospective "employee"......be aware, there will be scam in there somewhere.

The easiest way for you to see if this is a scam or not is to contact the dept of labour or what ever that dept is called in Taiwan or as an alternative contact the Tawianese embassy or consulate, they will be able to tell you if this is legit...which personally donr think it is...

[Thongkorn]

This is not a new scam, In the past many Thai girls went to Japan and elsewhere to work with there parents approval to earn big money, Many were pushed into prostitution, and many came home as ashes because they committed suicide.they did not go there to be prostitutes. this sounds like a scam,

[StreetCowboy]

In Taiwan there are plenty of Thai construction workers; a chap I sat next to on the plane was a lorry driver there. To the extent that there are Thai food stalls near the construction sites. Presumably there are also illegal Thai slave brothels as well. If the ladies have personal recommendations from personal friends regarding the bona fides of the agents involved, then I would suggest treat it with cautious and sceptical optimism. Otherwise, refuse to pay money up front and make sure you have a return ticket (i.e. forget all about it)

SC

[wolf5370]

I agree - sounds very scam like to me - and dangerous to boot. If they can save up (or otherwise realise) 100k each for these fees, then why not just put it together and start their own business here.

[endure]

Not saying that this isn't a scam but Taiwan may very well be looking for Thai labour:

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110223000086&cid=1101

[AngelofDeath]

Thank you everyone for your input.

Well, it seems like majority of the posters here think that it might be a scam. I read about Taiwan allowing more foreigners to work in the factory production line. However, I'm sceptical about them getting paid 30,000 bahts to 50,000 bahts per month. That's even more than some of the English teachers here in Thailand.

I won't be so worried if my thai friends were guy, but they are females. I will try to squeeze more information from them.

2 months of 30,000 bahts salary is enough to cover their "loss". I guess that''s what they are thinking. Money is the motivating factor here. I asked them to think logically and as of now, it's a futile effort. Promise of big money making opportunity triumps over logic.

[bina]

from thai workers working here who have worked in taiwan in the past i heard:

there are females working in factories in taiwan. the rules are very very strict. one man told me his (now) wife he met there, she had gotten pregnant and had an illegal abortion and was back to work the next day; if the bosses had found out, she would be shipped home... others tell me the work is very very hard , mostly in factories or building; dangerous conditions in building, very hard long hours ; most thai dont speak the language but do learn it... now there is a new plan here that thai workers who speak taiwanese come to israel to work with vietnam workers who also have worked in taiwan, so the one group teaches the other group how to work (since most employers here are used to speaking pigin thai/hebrew to their workers)...

the scam is the same as the israeli version; they pay and mortgage off their land, work for up to two years just paying back the money, then they start to earn if they can hold on in the work conditions...

the thais (working here in israel) seem to like taiwan because it is oriental/asian so less cultural and food issues although taiwan they have strict requirements like workers must have short hair (men), and other rules for entering. they also talked about buying lots of gold there (to be used as currency just like in thailand). the impression i got was that it got more 'favourable reviews' then other countries (portugal as being way too expensive for the workers we just heard from cousin of anon, recently working there), libya, for obvious reasons, and israel seems to be slipping slowly downwards as thais wise up to salary problems -- thai worker friends of ours are on strike about wages on a moshav up north)...

caveat emptor, best to talk with other thais who have been and come back..

bina

israel

[StreetCowboy]

caveat emptor. best to talk to Thais who have been and come back.

Best advice so far, and seek references from people you know for the agents and employers.

SC

[Mario2008]

Have them contact the labour office about this opportunity and see what other opertunities there are abroad.

The labour office does have offers for employment abroad.

[Mirth]

Do background check on the agent, am sure there will be others who have gone through the same agent. As for what you have found out in the internet, salary varies for locals and foreign labor, especially the hours.Thais or chinese workers from China may be required to work 12 hours shift 7 days a week whereas the locals work only 8-9 hours a day for 5/6 days a week. If you were to calculate the hours and days differences, the pay would be substantially lower compared to the locals. It's the same here in Thailand, get a worker from Laos or Burma, make them work more but pay less, to the Laos or Burmese, they are still happy cos it's much more than what they make at home but compared to the locals, they are cheap labors.

[Berkshire]

Interesting topic. And a serious problem. I've known several Thai girls who've been offered such opportunities. A recent one is some massage school in America offering Thai massage training and guaranteed work with big $$$. This friend of mine says that girls have come back and only after a year, was able to save a million baht. Of course, there's a huge upfront payment required for the training. And what she heard was from someone who knew someone who knew someone...blah blah blah. Honestly, I have not heard of one legit deal where someone actually went overseas and made a large amount of money doing something meaningful. Not one. A whole lot of secondhand information, someone knows someone who did it. I feel sorry for these girls, I really do. Desperation makes them want to believe what these crooks want them to believe. Simply put, I'd say pretty much 100% of the time, these "opportunities" are scams. As someone said, either the work is crap for crap pay, or it's a front for prostitution. If you know someone considering it, talk them out of it.

[StreetCowboy]

I knew a lady who worked in a massage parlour in Dubai; She had a bit of free time, and she went back again after a trip home. But it would certainly pay to be prudent... and seek references you can trust

SC

[Berkshire]

I knew a lady who worked in a massage parlour in Dubai; She had a bit of free time, and she went back again after a trip home. But it would certainly pay to be prudent... and seek references you can trust

SC

So she actually made a lot of money just giving massages, i.e., the kind where she keeps her clothes on? And you believe her?

[StreetCowboy]

I knew a lady who worked in a massage parlour in Dubai; She had a bit of free time, and she went back again after a trip home. But it would certainly pay to be prudent... and seek references you can trust

SC

So she actually made a lot of money just giving massages, i.e., the kind where she keeps her clothes on? And you believe her?

I don't think she made a lot of money. What I said was she went back after a trip home.

I was never offered anything untoward when I went for a massage.

Call me naive and gullible, but in the absence of indications otherwise, I generally believe that there is a grain of truth in what people say.

SC

[Mrjlh]

Have them contact the labour office about this opportunity and see what other opertunities there are abroad.

The labour office does have offers for employment abroad.

Very good advice, I was going to suggest the same thing.