The slaves who live and die on Thailand’s fishing boats

[stickylies]

absolutely. and any thai that travels abroad and has a problem please dont complain.

correct unfortunately very little thai travel abroad and when they do (generally the better class) the biggest problem they are confronted with is food (ahaan mai aroi loei!)...

[rreddin]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

That says it all.

[Somtamnication]

The reporter better watch out. He will be persecuted.

This does not happen in Thailand. smirk

[harada]

It's about time this is exposed ....

another peek behind the "Thai Smile"

I read a book back in the 80's called Behind The Smile ( not sure if its still available ) its worth a read, fishing slavery is only the tip of the iceberg.

is this it?

http://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9789748566689?clickid=QPs0kZQ0r1fpVw%3A0ZN2w228iUkTUrkzTTW0wzw0&cm_mmc=aff-_-ir-_-64682-_-77798&afn_sr=impact

Yes that's it, the cover has changed since I read it over 20 years ago, not to be confused with a book of the same name about a Pattaya bar girl,I don't think that things have changed much since this book was written, probably for the worse if anything, enjoy. Try Asia Books.

Edited February 18, 2014 by harada

[little mary sunshine]

OMG......This is the first I have heard of this..............

Today I am embarassed to say I LIVE IN THAILAND...........

[aussieinthailand]

It's not that hard, If Australia, the US, alone said to Thailand, you have one month to stop slavery or forget about any more exporting to our country's, but not just sea food, that means everything, and open for independent random inspections, No more slavery as money is the real mover and shaker...

[Donnie Brasco]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

Ponchi, that was a really bad comment. You should be ashamed of yourself.

The value of Ponchi's post is that it looks like it's straight from the horse's mouth: It's emblematic of wider thought in Thai society.

Despicable, nonetheless!

Exactly.

It's ALWAYS good policy to assess the environment.

And on this very point I am beginning to wonder just how safe it is to speak freely on this board.

With due respect, we are warned by TV policy.

TV does business here in Thailand however.

So can a meaningfully effective firewall" actually exist ??

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit."

[h90]

Write to your embassy and demand that they black list Thai seafood for human rights violations. Write to each of these major food outlets and boycott Thai products.

yes punish the honest fishermen as well and buy the fish instead from other equal shady sources....

[kunnatee]

ponchi

Is your post serious or is it a joke??

If it is serious, I don't think you have enough humanity to call yourself a human.

If you broke your leg and I was the only one around to call an ambulance, would you like me to say "You're not from my family so it's your problem, not mine"?

Do you like knowing that some of your Thai compatriots (since you seem proud of being Thai) are cruel criminals who enslave and kill innocents?

Do you realize that these immigrants come to Thailand because they live in extremely difficult conditions in their own countries?

If there was no food in Thailand, would you just let the people you know die or would you try to find food somewhere else?

I can barely believe that there are people who think like you.

And I am sure that many Thais are ashamed of what you say and that it gives them even more reasons to help people from other countries.

[Why ask]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

I can't believe you actually had the audacity to pen the above, and post it.

Farang are not Thai people too. Are you feeling the same same towards anybody non-Thai? You didn't ask us to come here, so why you care? Does your attitude carry to anybody non-Thai?

Be careful how you answer. You may become very famous on FACEBOOK na krap.

[Why ask]

OMG......This is the first I have heard of this..............

Today I am embarassed to say I LIVE IN THAILAND...........

You're kidding right?

This has been on TV all last year, and the year before; on the BBC, CNN you name it... it's a widely known, and ignored, subject, by some.

[12DrinkMore]

ponchi

Is your post serious or is it a joke??

If it is serious, I don't think you have enough humanity to call yourself a human.

If you broke your leg and I was the only one around to call an ambulance, would you like me to say "You're not from my family so it's your problem, not mine"?

Do you like knowing that some of your Thai compatriots (since you seem proud of being Thai) are cruel criminals who enslave and kill innocents?

Do you realize that these immigrants come to Thailand because they live in extremely difficult conditions in their own countries?

If there was no food in Thailand, would you just let the people you know die or would you try to find food somewhere else?

I can barely believe that there are people who think like you.

And I am sure that many Thais are ashamed of what you say and that it gives them even more reasons to help people from other countries.

Wasting your time.

His answer to that will be,

you've got it.

"i dont care"

[IBoldnewguy]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

Maybe in next life you will be a Cambodian, Myanmarese; a DNA test might show that Thainess is just an illusion... and that the genomes in SE Asia are seriously interrelated... why a Thai can even be Farang since we have plowed and dropped so much seed in the field...

[retsdon]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

Typical 'educated Thai' response. But it's mostly an Asian thing. When China gets all its dams finished and steals all the water from the Mekong leaving millions in Thailand and Vietnam destitute the average Chinaman will be saying,

"this not China people. Why we care?'

And the irony will go straight over Ponchi's head....

[justathought]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

You are not Thai. You are Chinese so why you are pretending to talk for Thai people??

Edited February 18, 2014 by justathought

[justathought]

you have a similar situation in the rich Arab states of saudi arabia, kuwait, uae, bahrain... where asian workers are kept as slaves. This has been going on for nearly 50 years now. The tallest buildings are built by slaves in these rich arab countries. domestic workers are kept as sex salves repeated raped and abused with little or no pay.

just search 'slaves in arabia' on youtube

evil strives when good men sit on the fence. I urge all good people who read this to pick up a pen and write to these arab embassies telling them that this behavior is not acceptable and in your own words you can tell them what you think of people who commit such injustices.

[tingtongdingdong]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

but its your people exploiting them dont you get it or is it impossible to see that your people can do no wrong in the eyes of your people.

[Trotto]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

Is this for real? Is this serious? It is a joke, right? You didn't just say that, did you?

[Trotto]

absolutely. and any thai that travels abroad and has a problem please dont complain.

correct unfortunately very little thai travel abroad and when they do (generally the better class) the biggest problem they are confronted with is food (ahaan mai aroi loei!)...

"Better" class?

[Tropicalevo]

Things are really starting to get embarrassing, Drugs, prostitution, extortion, corruption, the Rohingya problem, and now Slavery.

No need to be embarrassed LM. These things have been going on for centuries in Thailand - and other countries. (Including the USA - ok maybe not the Rohingya problem - but some other ethnic minorities have problems there.)

[Chicog]

It's OK, they are absolutely gutting their own fishing grounds with unsustainable practices, so it won't be long before they won't need slaves anymore, there will be nothing left to fish.

[impulse]

It's OK, they are absolutely gutting their own fishing grounds with unsustainable practices, so it won't be long before they won't need slaves anymore, there will be nothing left to fish.

Ah, but were it so...

Just more man hours to catch a kilo of fish, for which they can afford to pay less in wages.

When they can't afford diesel for their boats, they'll buy ankle chains, oars and a big drum- and need even more slaves.

The worse it gets, the worse it will get.

[willyumiii]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

So sad.

It is exactly this myopic, self centered Thai attitude that makes things like this possible in the area of Thailand!

You ask " Why do we care?"

Most of us care because we know it is wrong for any person to be enslaved or abused.

It does not matter what country they are from, they are human beings.

We are all human beings.

Thailand is a country full of poor people forced to live degrading lives and their fellow Thais permit it.

You need to get your head out of your backside and start caring for all humanity, not just yourself and those you consider to be like you.

Think about what is right and what is wrong.

Think about the future.

As you said " This is Thailand."

As I said " So sad".

People with your attitude are the root of the problem.

Now tell me, do you claim to follow the teachings of the Buddha?

Be honest with yourself.

[dictater]

Ponchi's post is the true attitude of most Thai people I know, including friends and girlfriend. Whenever I have had a discussion with Thai friends about anything controversial that happens involving Thailand the answer is knee jerk nationalism and this comes from people educated at the best universities in the country. Where are those TV commentators who apologize for the ignorant, racist, nationalist Thai laws and conduct in the face of a story like this. And its not a new story and its not isolated to fishing boats; its the same for immigrants who come to work on building sites, rice and or rubber plantations not to mention domestic help. Lets not make any mistake about what Thai's think about the rest of the world. Mr. Ponchi has demonstrated it nicely here.

[Yunla]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

I'm reluctant to target this post, it is such an obvious barn-door.

But I have to say, that you do not speak for Thai people. When you say "why we care" you should really say "why do I care" because you are only speaking on behalf of yourself. I can confirm that all my Thai friends find the exploitation of and brutality inflicted on these poor unfortunate people on the boats, to be completely unacceptable and shameful. I include my Isaan farmer friends and my Bangkok office worker friends in this. None of them think it is OK to starve, beat and hold hostage poor people who just wanted to earn a wage to support their families.

Good luck to you in future, I pray that you are never put in a terrible situation like the poor people in the OP.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Yunla

[Emster23]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

And this typifies the Thai response: not give a damn if not Thai. Some of us from more enlightened cultures believe that all people regardless of culture, country or race, should have rights and some dignity. Take a look at UN declaration of human rights sometimes. I don't think there is a clause it there reading "except in Thailand".

"If you are wondering what the government of Thailand is doing about all this, they have proposed a series of measures including an official registration system for potential workers and employers, although little concrete action has been taken."

The concrete action they have taken is to accept bribes from slavers in exchange for doing nothing. And they know Thai people generally give tacit approval.

[alextangbkk]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

If there is DEMAND, there will be SUPPLY ... Do you think Thai lazy bones can work as fishermen on those fishing boats? Don't you know Thai Fishing boat owners continuously seeking labor supply from neighboring countries like Myanmar and Cambodia? There is no Thai labor except a captain and mechanic in Thai fishing boats. DO YOU THINK will THAILAND become world's third largest fish and seafood exporter without depending on those Myanmar and Cambodia fishermen??? The problem is the way Thai employers treat them. If they treat them well in accordance with the existing Thai labor law, there wouldn't be problems. The problems occurred because Thai employers wanted to exploit on them as well as corrupted Thai officials. OK .. you say "we don't ask you to come here" ... ha ha .. if your THAI government DARE, send them all back because this is THAI land and authorities have power to do so ... Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers from neighboring countries working in Thai's major economic sectors such as agriculture, livestock and fisheries, garment and other manufacturing sectors, so just kick them out if you want and let's see what will happen in Thai economy ...

[ponchi]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

If there is DEMAND, there will be SUPPLY ... Do you think Thai lazy bones can work as fishermen on those fishing boats? Don't you know Thai Fishing boat owners continuously seeking labor supply from neighboring countries like Myanmar and Cambodia? There is no Thai labor except a captain and mechanic in Thai fishing boats. DO YOU THINK will THAILAND become world's third largest fish and seafood exporter without depending on those Myanmar and Cambodia fishermen??? The problem is the way Thai employers treat them. If they treat them well in accordance with the existing Thai labor law, there wouldn't be problems. The problems occurred because Thai employers wanted to exploit on them as well as corrupted Thai officials. OK .. you say "we don't ask you to come here" ... ha ha .. if your THAI government DARE, send them all back because this is THAI land and authorities have power to do so ... Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers from neighboring countries working in Thai's major economic sectors such as agriculture, livestock and fisheries, garment and other manufacturing sectors, so just kick them out if you want and let's see what will happen in Thai economy ...

but this is thaksin fault !!

we never have the corruption in thailand before.

now you understand why we want REFORM ??

[newcomer71]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

If there is DEMAND, there will be SUPPLY ... Do you think Thai lazy bones can work as fishermen on those fishing boats? Don't you know Thai Fishing boat owners continuously seeking labor supply from neighboring countries like Myanmar and Cambodia? There is no Thai labor except a captain and mechanic in Thai fishing boats. DO YOU THINK will THAILAND become world's third largest fish and seafood exporter without depending on those Myanmar and Cambodia fishermen??? The problem is the way Thai employers treat them. If they treat them well in accordance with the existing Thai labor law, there wouldn't be problems. The problems occurred because Thai employers wanted to exploit on them as well as corrupted Thai officials. OK .. you say "we don't ask you to come here" ... ha ha .. if your THAI government DARE, send them all back because this is THAI land and authorities have power to do so ... Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers from neighboring countries working in Thai's major economic sectors such as agriculture, livestock and fisheries, garment and other manufacturing sectors, so just kick them out if you want and let's see what will happen in Thai economy ...

but this is thaksin fault !!

we never have the corruption in thailand before.

now you understand why we want REFORM ??

Second sentence states clearly you are a troll, or you don't know anything you are talking about.

Ignore list is getting bigger...

[justathought]

this is not thai people.

why we care?

can stay in myanmar or cambodia if dont like!!

we dont ask you to come here.

this is THAI land.

If there is DEMAND, there will be SUPPLY ... Do you think Thai lazy bones can work as fishermen on those fishing boats? Don't you know Thai Fishing boat owners continuously seeking labor supply from neighboring countries like Myanmar and Cambodia? There is no Thai labor except a captain and mechanic in Thai fishing boats. DO YOU THINK will THAILAND become world's third largest fish and seafood exporter without depending on those Myanmar and Cambodia fishermen??? The problem is the way Thai employers treat them. If they treat them well in accordance with the existing Thai labor law, there wouldn't be problems. The problems occurred because Thai employers wanted to exploit on them as well as corrupted Thai officials. OK .. you say "we don't ask you to come here" ... ha ha .. if your THAI government DARE, send them all back because this is THAI land and authorities have power to do so ... Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers from neighboring countries working in Thai's major economic sectors such as agriculture, livestock and fisheries, garment and other manufacturing sectors, so just kick them out if you want and let's see what will happen in Thai economy ...

but this is thaksin fault !!

we never have the corruption in thailand before.

now you understand why we want REFORM ??

Thanksin is Chinese like you. By your picture I can see that you are chinese. There is no difference between Thaksin and you. You both look down on Thai people because the chinese like you have monopolised Thai politics and consider yourselves better than the Thai. I feel sorry for the Thai that they have lost their country to the chinese like you