More BAD NEWS for Thailand

[DiamondKing]

CNN reports that Thailand is one of the biggest fish exporters in the world and this weekend they are airing a special investigation documentary on the plight of the fishermen of thailand with accusations of kidnapping, Human trafficking, torture and the murder of fishermen on the boats and being tossed overboard.

Based on the trailer its gonna be some more bad press for Thailand which will be broadcast worldwide this weekend.

[Shurup]

I thought it was something involving falangs again... feeewww...

[kotsak]

BBC World will show a report about this during weekend as well..

Title is Thailand's Slave Fishermen @ 18:30 Sat 25 Jan

[oogster8]

Ratings would be higher if they did doc. on bargirls!

[JoeThePoster]

About time someone outed the slave practices in the fishing industry.

[Showbags]

Stop picking on us....geeez

[Berkshire]

Refreshing change from the politics and prostitution. Thailand does have something else going for it!

[edwinchester]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25814718

Thai fishing industry on BBC's website today.

[kirstymelb101]

When it's aired where can I watch it?

[DiamondKing]

I think it was the BBC and not CNN I was watching the trailer on

[Sphere]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nm-VTCNBhE

[krisb]

Another story on the same old issue but nothing ever gets done about it. The people who could fix the problem, like all the other problems really don't give a sht.

[Thai at Heart]

Not sure this will come to nothing. It's just another little drip in the bucket exposing the nature of problems with business here.

Expect the catcalls of"farang no understand".

[CharlieH]

Another story on the same old issue but nothing ever gets done about it. The people who could fix the problem, like all the other problems really don't give a sht.

Or receive certain considerations NOT to give a shit, like so many other issues money and greed at the root.

[thailiketoo]

Ratings would be higher if they did doc. on bargirls!

Ah..; that would make the 375th one on that topic. If they really wanted to right some major wrongs and do a fascinating program they could define the word Farang and all the harm it causes in Thailand.

[krisb]

Another story on the same old issue but nothing ever gets done about it. The people who could fix the problem, like all the other problems really don't give a sht.

Or receive certain considerations NOT to give a shit, like so many other issues money and greed at the root.

Probably. The UN expects Thailand to lift their game but this is just an ongoing saga. At what point does the UN step in and take action? Guarantee this news report means stuff all really. Guaranteed we will be reading this same story again and again, nothing gets done.

The one that really gripes me is the trading of children for god only knows what.

Sickening stuff and a truly awful underbelly. Amazing Thailand?? nah not really.

[EBlair48]

Need an embargo. Still Lieland will just fudge what needs fudging to get through it- like offering up some ladyboys to the UN inspectors.

I find myself sick that I've been contributing to enabling this country's deplorable practices with my time and energy in running a small business.

[simple1]

Need an embargo. Still Lieland will just fudge what needs fudging to get through it- like offering up some ladyboys to the UN inspectors.

I find myself sick that I've been contributing to enabling this country's deplorable practices with my time and energy in running a small business.

Thailand has been on the US State Department Trafficking in Persons watch list for a number of years, this includes issues such as the Rohingya, sex trafficking & the fishing industry. The UN could posssibly request sanctions to be applied by member countries. However its more likely the US State Department warning of downgrading Thailand to Tier 3 status this year will be implemented & includes possible sanctions such as:

Withhold or withdraw nonhumanitarian, non-trade-related foreign assistance. In addition, countries on Tier 3 may not receive funding for government employees’ participation in educational and cultural exchange programs. Consistent with the TVPA, governments subject to sanctions would also face U.S. opposition to assistance (except for humanitarian, trade-related, and certain development-related assistance) from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The US President does have the power to waiver Tier 3 sanctions for strategic considerations.

[Thongkorn]

My wife's father never came back from a fishing trip. Nobody knew anything of how he came to be in the water, or how he drowned, it was a common thing years ago to settle old scores sea.

[wym]

This issue has been public for years, just not yet hit the mainstream international media in a big way.

What ever happened to the scandinavian NGO activist/researchers that were being prosecuted for making the truth public under Thailand's "wonderful" libel/slander laws?

This is the only effective way toward change - get the developed world's consumers, led by activists, to get upset enough to start organizing boycotts.

Only when it hurts the industry's pocket books will the government start to actually (be seen to appear to) do something about the problem.

Thais just don't care as long as the slaves are Burmese or Khmer.

[oogster8]

anyone notice LoS is never in the news for good things. Only positive press is its Party capital of planet.....and thats not necessarily a good thing.

[yourauntbob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nm-VTCNBhE

i guess this is why they are cracking down on immigrants from the north east and not the south west.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/698065-immigration-crackdown-in-north-east-thailand/

[wym]

Previous BBC story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12881982

The NGO researcher sued for defamation (note telling the truth is not a defence in Thailand!)

http://andyjhall.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/british-activist-andy-hall-accuses-bang-na-police-of-malfeasance-in-natural-fruit-defamation-row/

Past discussion here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/643581-slavery-in-the-thai-fishing-industry/

[ultimate weapon]

Honestly speaking how did the burmese well fxxk themselves for for the lack of a better word till their country is so riddiculously poor.

[3NUMBAS]

numerous stories over the years about slave fishermen being brutalised and thrown overboard to drown ,must be hell on thai fishing boats

[hotrod4098]

cheap labour...more rich thais...

[Johnjc]

I believe part of the programme shows a Thai official having just checked out a fishing boat saying words to the effect 'There is no cage or prison on board so the men are free to come and go as they wish' !! So no action taken.

[MAJIC]

Stop picking on us....geeez

Perhaps it would have more chance of seeing the end of human trafficking if it were made public,and not covered up in the interests of Tourism!

[thailiketoo]

Stop picking on us....geeez

Perhaps it would have more chance of seeing the end of human trafficking if it were made public,and not covered up in the interests of Tourism!

I agree.

EEOC Files Its Largest Farm Worker Human Trafficking Suit Against Global Horizons, Farms

The Thai workers were assigned to work at six farms in Hawaii (Captain Cook Coffee Company, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Kauai Coffee Company, Kelena Farms, MacFarms of Hawaii, and Maui Pineapple Farms) and two farms in Washington (Green Acre Farms and Valley Fruit Orchards), harvesting a variety of items from pineapples to coffee beans.

In a related development, the EEOC’s Birmingham District Office filed another labor trafficking case today against Signal International LLC. In that suit the EEOC contends that Signal International discriminated against approximately 500 male Indian workers who were trafficked to work as welders, pipefitters and ship-fitters in Mississippi and Texas.

http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/4-20-11b.cfm

[wym]

No one's saying this problem is limited to Thailand, it's just this is a place to talk about Thailand, both good and bad.

Finding more current counter examples might help you make that point.

Not to mention ones with the same scale and intensity of problem, I don't think the US firms are routinely enslaving and killing the mistreated foreigners.