Singapore returns passports to 40 Thai students

[webfact]

Singapore returns passports to 40 Thai students
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, June 13 -- The Singaporean government on Friday returned passports to some 40 Thai students who were cheated by manpower firms in that country, said Pravit Khiengpol, director-general of the Thai Labour Ministry’s Employment Department.

The return of confiscated passports came after nearly 30 Thai students lodged a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok that they were lured by recruitment agencies which had displayed advertisements on a website and on Facebook that Thai students could receive training at famous hotels, restaurants and clubhouses in Singapore.

The students were told that they would receive wages and overtime payment.

The company charged from Bt25,000 to Bt29,000 as service fee and for lodging for each student.

After working in Singapore for a while, the Singaporean authorities made random inspections and found that the documents allowing them to be trainees were forged.

Their passports were confiscated by the Singaporean authorities while many were asked to become witnesses by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower.

Officials of Thailand's Employment Department said later that about 40 Thai students were still stranded in Singapore.

Mr Pravit told journalists that the Ministry of Manpower in that country decided to seize the students’ passports after finding that their documents were falsified. The Singaporean based manpower firms were also found guilty and the students’ passports were returned to the owners.

Mr Pravit said students who wished to continue their training in Singapore could do so but they have to inform the Thai labour representative in that country first for consideration. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-06-13

[FangFerang]

What the devil this? They lured students...when the students complained...their passports were confiscated.

Then the Thai government stepped in and the passports were returned...but....

Makes Singapore look as bad as they should look...

[Now or Never]

This is a disgusting way to treat fellow ASEAN citizens who were duped by Thai and Singaporean criminals.

Good ole Lee Mafia Singapore.

Another one party state since independence in 1965.

[bigbamboo]

Perhaps our Chinese brothers in Singapore were getting anxious because the Kra Isthmus canal project was being discussed again. What a wonderful piece of leverage to have up one's sleeve.

[Briggsy]

The Singapore reports are not quite as kind describing them as illegal workers rather than students.

[Hawk]

In Thailand working illegally and being in possession of a forged document would certainly get one into jail for a year or more. The thai courts are nasty when it comes to forgery, the judges don't take into account any mitigating circumstances.

Therefore the students were lucky, if it was Singaporeans in Thailand they would have all been thrown in jail.

[MaxLee]

"The return of confiscated passports came after nearly 30 Thai students lodged a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok that they were lured by recruitment agencies which had displayed advertisements on a website and on Facebook that Thai students could receive training at famous hotels, restaurants and clubhouses in Singapore."

Well first of all, if something really suspicious promotion pops up on Facebook, would you believe it???

1 billion kachillian dollars win for free on Facebook....

so you get it kiddies???

[Seastallion]

The Singapore reports are not quite as kind describing them as illegal workers rather than students.

And, since their documents were forged, they truly were illegal workers. It makes no difference that they were duped.

If it behooves the press to be emotive, they would call Burman slaves aboard Thai fishing ships "illegal workers".

[surangw]

In Thailand working illegally and being in possession of a forged document would certainly get one into jail for a year or more. The thai courts are nasty when it comes to forgery, the judges don't take into account any mitigating circumstances.

Therefore the students were lucky, if it was Singaporeans in Thailand they would have all been thrown in jail.

singapore is civilized, no tea money needed in most cases to get fair judicial treatment

[behonset]

when I was in Singapore I found them to be very rascist. When they come here, we treat them well. Why do the rich Chinese think they can look down on us?

[Prbkk]

In Thailand working illegally and being in possession of a forged document would certainly get one into jail for a year or more. The thai courts are nasty when it comes to forgery, the judges don't take into account any mitigating circumstances.

Therefore the students were lucky, if it was Singaporeans in Thailand they would have all been thrown in jail.

singapore is civilized, no tea money needed in most cases to get fair judicial treatment

Singapore is anything but free of judicial corruption. It is just as bad as Thailand in leniency for the rich. One American kid got a few strokes on the bum but influential drug criminals get a free pass ( sons of judges and MPs in some cases). Singapore also offers safe haven to those who have stolen billions, eg Suharto family and cronies. Rotten to the core.

[Now or Never]

In Thailand working illegally and being in possession of a forged document would certainly get one into jail for a year or more. The thai courts are nasty when it comes to forgery, the judges don't take into account any mitigating circumstances.

Therefore the students were lucky, if it was Singaporeans in Thailand they would have all been thrown in jail.

Their work documents were falsified not their passport.

[Bangkok45]

In Thailand working illegally and being in possession of a forged document would certainly get one into jail for a year or more. The thai courts are nasty when it comes to forgery, the judges don't take into account any mitigating circumstances.

Therefore the students were lucky, if it was Singaporeans in Thailand they would have all been thrown in jail.

singapore is civilized, no tea money needed in most cases to get fair judicial treatment

Singapore is anything but free of judicial corruption. It is just as bad as Thailand in leniency for the rich. One American kid got a few strokes on the bum but influential drug criminals get a free pass ( sons of judges and MPs in some cases). Singapore also offers safe haven to those who have stolen billions, eg Suharto family and cronies. Rotten to the core.

Are your thoughts based on fact or rumour? Name 1 MP or an influential criminal drug criminal that got away due to their family influence? Please enlighten me.

Sent from my SM-T211 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[rlopes]

when I was in Singapore I found them to be very rascist. When they come here, we treat them well. Why do the rich Chinese think they can look down on us?

Because they think they are better than everyone?

Edited June 13, 2014 by rlopes

[332]

This is a disgusting way to treat fellow ASEAN citizens

You should see what happens to the Rohingya people. Although no state accepts them as theirs, so officially ASEAN citizins.

[jcisco]

The Singapore reports are not quite as kind describing them as illegal workers rather than students.

And, since their documents were forged, they truly were illegal workers. It makes no difference that they were duped.

If it behooves the press to be emotive, they would call Burman slaves aboard Thai fishing ships "illegal workers".

Actually it does make a huge difference, while technically they are illegal workers, the mitigation as being the victim of crime would heavily alter enforcement. Utterly different from if they had forged their documents and wilfully attempted to defraud the Republic.

Singapore has much experience with these sorts of practices by everyone who is in a position to abuse foreign labor. And they have worked proactively to not punish the worker being screwed.

[Chao Lao Beach]

"The return of confiscated passports came after nearly 30 Thai students lodged a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok that they were lured by recruitment agencies which had displayed advertisements on a website and on Facebook that Thai students could receive training at famous hotels, restaurants and clubhouses in Singapore."

Well first of all, if something really suspicious promotion pops up on Facebook, would you believe it???

1 billion kachillian dollars win for free on Facebook....

so you get it kiddies???

But in Thailand, Facebook is everything....

[Payboy]

Thai students could receive training at famous hotels, restaurants and clubhouses in Singapore.

Lots of Thai "students" at the FourFloors Hospitality Management Institute.

[tomyummer]

Perhaps our Chinese brothers in Singapore were getting anxious because the Kra Isthmus canal project was being discussed again. What a wonderful piece of leverage to have up one's sleeve.

Let's see the good General decide to start building it now. Screw the years of tea money to Thai politicians to keep them from building it.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Hawk]

In Thailand working illegally and being in possession of a forged document would certainly get one into jail for a year or more. The thai courts are nasty when it comes to forgery, the judges don't take into account any mitigating circumstances.

Therefore the students were lucky, if it was Singaporeans in Thailand they would have all been thrown in jail.

Their work documents were falsified not their passport.

If any stamp in the passport was forged then under Thai law one gets hit twice, first for the fake stamp and secondly for using a fake passport. It works this way, the Thais say a fake stamp in the passport in turn makes the passport a fake. So the sentencing would normally be 3 years, 1.5 + 1.5 years.

The Thai passports contained work visas which were fake?

Edited June 14, 2014 by Hawk

[NativeSon360]

This is a disgusting way to treat fellow ASEAN citizens who were duped by Thai and Singaporean criminals.

Good ole Lee Mafia Singapore.

Another one party state since independence in 1965.

The United States of America is also a one party state (divided into "Democrat & Republican" houses), where ignorant, working-class 1040 "tax paying" citizens are duped (by criminals) to believe that they're living in the "greatest country" in the world. Duh There are no "starving-for-food" people anywhere in Asia.

Clean-up your own house first, before criticizing the "state of affairs" in someone else's. Thank you

[kinmaew]

Suffer bad Thais now you know how the rest of the world are treated when they enter your country.

[Now or Never]

This is a disgusting way to treat fellow ASEAN citizens who were duped by Thai and Singaporean criminals.

Good ole Lee Mafia Singapore.

Another one party state since independence in 1965.

The United States of America is also a one party state (divided into "Democrat & Republican" houses), where ignorant, working-class 1040 "tax paying" citizens are duped (by criminals) to believe that they're living in the "greatest country" in the world. Duh There are no "starving-for-food" people anywhere in Asia.

Clean-up your own house first, before criticizing the "state of affairs" in someone else's. Thank you

I think you should call your mummy and ask her to change your nappies.

[JB300]

What the devil this? They lured students...when the students complained...their passports were confiscated.

Then the Thai government stepped in and the passports were returned...but....

Makes Singapore look as bad as they should look...

How about... Students caught working illegally, Students claimed they were duped (nb doesn't make it any less illegal), Students passports held whilst the matter was investigated, Thailand confirms students were in fact duped & the people responsible would be punished, Singapore returns passports.

What's wrong with that (apart from the missing being thrown in jail step that could happen in other countries).

[AGareth2]

when I was in Singapore I found them to be very rascist. When they come here, we treat them well. Why do the rich Chinese think they can look down on us?

because they are insecure

[Smokemachine]

when I was in Singapore I found them to be very rascist. When they come here, we treat them well. Why do the rich Chinese think they can look down on us?

Everywhere is the same. There are racist but there also have kind people. Do you think the thais here are treating all the foreigners good?

[Beetlejuice]

when I was in Singapore I found them to be very rascist. When they come here, we treat them well. Why do the rich Chinese think they can look down on us?

Where is here? And who is us?

Edited June 15, 2014 by Beetlejuice

[chuang]

when I was in Singapore I found them to be very rascist. When they come here, we treat them well. Why do the rich Chinese think they can look down on us?

Where is here? And who is us?

Yeah I like to know too..