Workers lose Bt755m to bogus job offers

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- More than 12,000 workers have lost about Bt755 million to job-placement firms offering bogus jobs overseas, the Department of Employment said yesterday.

The victims are mostly based in Bangkok, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Lampang and Udon Thani, the department's director-general Prawit Khiangphol said. Between October 2010 to September 2011, 1,783 workers were duped of up to Bt120 million.

The most common problems are that workers find themselves jobless after arriving at their destination, or are not paid enough, or not provided the conditions promised in the contracts or find the deal completely bogus. So far, 485 workers have lost a total of Bt32 million to job-placement firms and suffered one or all of the problems listed above.

Another 1,323 workers, who were duped of Bt87 million in total, found they could either not enter the country, or were forced to work illegally, or were left stranded or had nothing to do. The DOE stepped in and helped recover Bt59 million for the victims in 2008 and Bt185 million the following year.

In a move to tackle fraud, the DOE has been taking action on illegal firms and imposing strict regulations on newly registered companies. Five of the job-placement firms have lost their licences, another 15 face suspension and 26 have been fined so far, he said.

The DOE has secured soft loans for Thai workers wanting to work overseas from three state-run banks including Krung Thai Bank and Government Savings Bank, Prawit said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-22

There is a silver lining here but you have to really wanna see it. It wasn't foreigners doing this. It was Thais stealing from Thais. Which is fair game, right?

This has been a chronic problem for 2 decades or more, any government that could solve this problem would win a lot of votes. It's despicable when farmers or poor labourers end up paying anything from 60,00 to 300,000 baht in advance to get the contract, only then to be cheated.

Some sell their land, some take out loans from loan sharks with crippling rates of interest.

But they'll keep doing it because some are successful,coming back and building nice houses,buying rubber plantations, rice mills, pick-ups etc.

Tablet computers top school children will solve all this of course...

This has been a chronic problem for 2 decades or more, any government that could solve this problem would win a lot of votes. It's despicable when farmers or poor labourers end up paying anything from 60,00 to 300,000 baht in advance to get the contract, only then to be cheated.

Some sell their land, some take out loans from loan sharks with crippling rates of interest.

But they'll keep doing it because some are successful,coming back and building nice houses,buying rubber plantations, rice mills, pick-ups etc.

When are they gonna charge the PTP party... they also made promises ... Reap what you sow..!!

This has been a chronic problem for 2 decades or more, any government that could solve this problem would win a lot of votes. It's despicable when farmers or poor labourers end up paying anything from 60,00 to 300,000 baht in advance to get the contract, only then to be cheated.

Some sell their land, some take out loans from loan sharks with crippling rates of interest.

But they'll keep doing it because some are successful,coming back and building nice houses,buying rubber plantations, rice mills, pick-ups etc.

Their very own society teaches them the way to get something is via a bribe. Contract, job, school, etc, etc. Karma. Not right but thats the way they work it.

I know of a few Farangs who were were former taxi drivers, window washers, and street sweepers in Europe who took jobs in Nigeria as certified accounts,Brain surgeons and Engineers for $45,000 a month and then found out they "lost" their $950 visa money. If it is too good to be true in 99.999999% of the cases it ain't true.