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

[gerrythepoet]

Ponchi if your comment was to create confusion and reaction you got it. If you actually believe what you wrote then I am deeply shocked. However if you are just punch drunk and on TV for your amusement then think again. I would suggest to others on TV to ignore your posts.

The fact is everyone knows that success in Thailand is based on the migrant workers without them Thailand would be struggling to get her face above water.

People from all over the World helped for the Tsunami they were not Thai and most likely reacted in a charitable way having not even set foot in Thailand.

It is the duty of every human being to stand up for another so everyone has a fair deal. Exploitation of any form is unacceptable

Ethics rule the way and the cornerstone is " the Golden Rule:.

Nothing to do with Taksin or corruption but just greed at any cost.

[MilesofSmiles]

This is why I don't eat seafood in Thailand, and haven't since I got here.

[sabye]

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.

Without foreign workers and foreign investment in Thailand you Thai people would be poor and impoverished like the Myanmar people have been for decades. Open your eyes and your heart to others who are less fortunate. They come here to work and get money for their families and you don't care if they are turned into slaves. Shame on you.If all of us foreigner left Thailand tomorrow you would be eating dirt in one year.

[HOOD Robin]

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 should be CRUCIFIED !!!!!

[winstonc]

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 awful human.

[Outlaws]

Thailand and slavery? Work with no promised pay? Taking tips from the rice pledging Scheme? No way!

Boats run by the likes of Suthep and his kind

[ponchi]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand.

[englishoak]

Whatever the background or opinions of posters here I think I can say NONE of us agree that reducing ANYONE to the life of slavery as these people have been can be justified or defended.

Ponchi you are a troll, a disgrace to Thailand, ( if you are thai which i have my doubts ) a sad excuse for a human being and not representative of anyone but yourself.

These people were NOT in Thailand but kept captive in international waters by THAI fishing boats, these are not your average fisherman but rich corpoorate fleets on motherships very often.

Thai fishing fleets are engaging in forced slavery and the selling of humans is utterly condemned by all for this barbarity including amnesty international, your Navy is guilty of human trafficking and well documented again by amnesty international.

We may be from many nations and have differing opinions but NONE of us condone or excuse slavery, not even slightly ... go away, you are not welcome here and give Thais a very very bad reputation...

This forum should not tolerating people like you that support or excuse slavery in any shape or form.

[Basil B]

A lot makes sense now, for years all those bodies turning up in the water off Satihip.

The people have lost years of their lives, I hope that the tables can be turned and maybe some of these boat owners at least end up having to pay them some back pay.

May be time bring in international observers to go out with the Thai Navy patrol boats and intercept these fishing boats and search them for slaves, if the RTN does not cooperate bring in foreign navy vessels under the UN flag.

When they find these boats with slave they should arrest the captains and owners and sell the boats to compensate the slaves, that would be great but the big issue is the safety of those already enslaved and if there was a crack down I could see most of them being tossed overboard to save the skins of the owners and captains. so probably an amnesty is needed first with the Thai government paying compensation to the slaves which would have to be recouped from the fishing industry.

[paz]

I wonder if ponchi is the one on the left or on the right in the picture.Actually I'm a little unsure about the sex of one the left.

Whatever the case , he/she's now the star of TV. Some people believe it's trolling, I'm afraid it's not.

Edited February 18, 2014 by paz

[coconutbar]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand

how is this different from all the THAI people who go abroad too usa , europe , australia to work????

[ponchi]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand

how is this different from all the THAI people who go abroad too usa , europe , australia to work????

because the thai people go to work in other country not make the problem.

we work hard to make the money for the family to send back to thailand.

not involve in politics in other country like falang in thailand.

we dont care. only care about the thai people.

[coconutbar]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand

how is this different from all the THAI people who go abroad too usa , europe , australia to work????

because the thai people go to work in other country not make the problem.

we work hard to make the money for the family to send back to thailand.

not involve in politics in other country like falang in thailand.

we dont care. only care about the thai people.

u see you didnt answer the question just babbled nonsense ..........

how is it different for a thai to go work abroad than for a cambodian or burmese to go work abroad??

they too are trying to get money to send to there family???

Edited February 18, 2014 by coconutbar

[timewilltell]

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 a racist low life. If you are typical of a Thai then Thailand is seriously in trouble.

[timewilltell]

There is a way to stop this. Stop demand for Thai seafood products. If the large supermarket chains of the world; Tesco, Carrefour, Ahold, Aldi, Walmart, Costco, Woolworths, Coles etc put in rigid Ethical sourcing polices demand would decrease and force change in the Thai supply chains. Alternatively, if consumers stop purchasing Thai seafood products the supermarket chains would be forced to react and change would also occur.

That is not the answer. International pressure is the answer. Not sure whether it is the deceiving smiles that blind the international community for years or just apathy or maybe the fact that Thailand is happy to prostrate its body to be used for strategic purposes and so is paid by turning a blind eye to human rights?

[timewilltell]

Forced to fish: Slavery on Thailand's trawlers

By Becky Palmstrom BBC News, Thailand

23 January 2014 Last updated at 23:11

Human Rights Watch says the use of forced labour on the boats is "systematic" and "pervasive"

Thailand is the third largest exporter of seafood in the world, supplying supermarkets in Europe and America, but it's accused of crewing fishing boats with Burmese and Cambodian men who've been sold and forced to work as slaves.

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

Bit like the racism that is institutionalised here as Ponchi so amply demonstrates. Edited February 19, 2014 by timewilltell

[kunnatee]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand

how is this different from all the THAI people who go abroad too usa , europe , australia to work????

because the thai people go to work in other country not make the problem.

we work hard to make the money for the family to send back to thailand.

not involve in politics in other country like falang in thailand.

we dont care. only care about the thai people.

"It is better to shut your mouth and pass for an idiot than open it and leave no doubt about it"

I'm surprised you criticize thaksin, you share so much with him. The selfishness, the lack of empathy, the delusion, the xenophobia...

I think you should go see the world a little bit, to better understand what's happening outside of your backyard.

Please, remind me most Thais were called 1000 years ago...

... Khmers (That's Cambodian)

Because Thais and Cambodians were, and still are the same. Or do you want the independence of white skinned Thais from Bangkok?

Just like American Indians come from Asia.

And like all humans come from Africa as a matter of fact.

Borders are constructs of men that only divide and cause suffering, through selfish individuals like you.

If someone attacked Thailand, you'd welcome foreigners who come to help.

Well, those foreigners would come for a simple reason : we're all humans, and they know better than to look down on others because of their nationality.

Spend some time learning about what makes Burmese come to Thailand, you may feel better about yourself.

Oh, and unemployment in Thailand is pretty much non-existent.

Whereas it is high is most of the western world.(25% in Spain)

So please don't talk about foreigners who steal Thais' jobs while Thais "don't cause problems abroad"

I 100% Thais who want to work abroad, as well as non-Thais who want to work in Thailand.

We're all humans of the world.

Borders have no reason to be

[timewilltell]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand

how is this different from all the THAI people who go abroad too usa , europe , australia to work????

because the thai people go to work in other country not make the problem.

we work hard to make the money for the family to send back to thailand.

not involve in politics in other country like falang in thailand.

we dont care. only care about the thai people.

Thai people go to work in many other countries and are treated with respect - foreigners here are treated otherwise.

Thai people got to work in many other countries and can buy land and make a life with security for their family - foreigners here are treated otherwise

Thai people go to other countries and openly join demonstrations which is acceptable in democracies - foreigners here are not allowed to express opinions and are threatened with deportation.

Thai people go to many other countries and get educated and open their eyes to the myopic xenophobia that infects the country stirred up by the rich to reduce foreign competition which they are too lazy to compete against.

Thai people are politicians in other countries because democracies allow them to become so but foreigners in Thailand cannot.

I do not expect your mind can comprehend these things because you have clearly been denied a reasonable education but I am sure you can console yourself by standing to attention as they raise up your beloved flag and salute in ignorance of what is going on around you.

[kingalfred]

Another Thai negative and great to see it out there .Thai diplomats trying to suppress information? Surely not? Thailand "the hub of south east asian slavery"

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[SailingHome]

What I don't get is how thailand is the #1 maker of canned fish, but a tin of it costs more than Philippines or USA.

[SailingHome]

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.

<deleted>? I guess you are Thai and what so many are saying here about Thai superiority complex is true? Wow...

[dighambara]

This is a direct parallel to young women tricked into sex slavery.

However, both stories are as old as time; 'Shangaied' is a valid English term that is centuries old.

[Kalbo]

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 this crass, xenophobic and cruel comment is representative of the general Thai way of thinking, then this country really has no hope, and indeed, deserves every piece of unwelcome publicity it gets. What a horrible person this is.

[kingalfred]

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 this crass, xenophobic and cruel comment is representative of the general Thai way of thinking, then this country really has no hope, and indeed, deserves every piece of unwelcome publicity it gets. What a horrible person this is.

please dont be surprised. ,generally Thais dont like non Thais , they tolerate them because often their presence creates employment.but behind that smile., beware.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[simondan]

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.

Wow Ponchi youre a real human being! In the old days we might have complimented you by saying you're a real 'white man'. With a staggering command of the concepts of cause and effect and how corruption in one sphere of life pervades others. This is the sort of basic, barely literate right wing drivel you'd expect from a citizen of a country with a joke of an education system and a political system that barely functions, but who still think they are better than the rest of world. If you were such a great civilisation compared to the rest of us, you would have realised how stupid that comment was before you made it and not humiliated yourself so unnecessarily.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[simondan]

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 this crass, xenophobic and cruel comment is representative of the general Thai way of thinking, then this country really has no hope, and indeed, deserves every piece of unwelcome publicity it gets. What a horrible person this is.

please dont be surprised. ,generally Thais dont like non Thais , they tolerate them because often their presence creates employment.but behind that smile., beware.

I think its in part an artefact of there being only one country in the world that speaks their language (ie Thailand), so they dont get to see on TV the diversity of products and thoughts and developments of the rest of the world, like those of us from the poor unfortunate degenerate English speaking world do. If they did, that superiority complex might wane a bit when they realise how dated and modest their 'acheivements' really are (like being the most corrupt modern country never to have been colonised - congratulations Ponchi!).

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jcisco]

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.

Slavery hub of the world.

[jcisco]

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.

Wow Ponchi youre a real human being! In the old days we might have complimented you by saying you're a real 'white man'. With a staggering command of the concepts of cause and effect and how corruption in one sphere of life pervades others. This is the sort of basic, barely literate right wing drivel you'd expect from a citizen of a country with a joke of an education system and a political system that barely functions, but who still think they are better than the rest of world. If you were such a great civilisation compared to the rest of us, you would have realised how stupid that comment was before you made it and not humiliated yourself so unnecessarily.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Thank you @Simondan That perfectly expresses my thoughts on this matter.

[pistachios]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand.

Unfortunatly, the only thing that could make sense in your racist and idiotic posts is wrong again.

Unemployment is at record low in thailand. If nobody from myanmar or cambodia came to work in thailand, there would be nobody to pick up the trash, build houses, gardening or fish for that matter!

Edited February 19, 2014 by pistachios

[samuijimmy]

i think you not understand.

this people come my country to take away the job from the THAI people !!

i think can stay in myanmar and cambodia for the better life.

not come to thailand.

What absolute rubbish.... many of these jobs you speak about, are jobs that Thai's don't want to do.... probably you included.... Plus the fact that just about every resort and restaurant would close down in the main tourist areas, because many Thais do not want those jobs...

Resort owners for the most part are Thai's, I would think they would choose Thai workers first if they want to work...

One of the most disgusting comments I have ever read on Thai Visa... go back to school... then you might get a job...

I am glad the Thais I know do not share your ignorant opinion.....

Edited February 19, 2014 by samuijimmy