Rumours force many Cambodian workers leave for home
By Digital Content

SA KAEO, June 13 -- Many Cambodian workers in Thailand have already left for home while more than 10,000 others are preparing to return for fear of being arrested by the Thai authorities following persisting rumours that the Thai military is preparing to launch a massive crackdown on illegal migrants.

Thai border officials said many Cambodian workers had returned home by train and bus during the past few days out of concern that the Thai military is preparing to suppress illegal migrant workers in Thailand.

The Cambodian government has provided more than 20 military trucks and over 10 buses to pick up more than 10,000 Cambodian workers now stranded at the border checkpoint in the Cambodian border town of Poi Pet, opposite Aranyaprathet district.

Pol Lt Col Benjapol Rodsawat, deputy chief of Sa Kaeo immigration police, said local Thai officials had tried to explain to Cambodian workers that they should not be afraid if they work in Thailand legally, saying that the key border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet would never be closed.

Pravit Khiengpol, director-general of Thai Labour Ministry’s Employment Department, said that a number of Thai enterprises would suffer a shortage of workers following the returning home of the Cambodian workers.

Official statistics show that a total of 441,569 Cambodian workers have registered with the Employment Department.

Many of them have already left for home in response to the rumours. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-06-14

Targetting the illegal teachers in schools here next?

A simple raid of each school to see everybody's WP, then off to military detention and deported if they don't have one would clean up the place a bit.

Rumours?

"Since June 1st, 2014, about 40,000 Cambodian workers in Thailand have self-deported or have been forcibly removed from the country by the military junta. ADHOC investigators have received credible witness accounts up to nine Cambodian migrants have been killed, and that beatings have occurred at the hands of the Thai armed forces.. Unfortunately, in times of crisis in Thailand Cambodians are often scapegoated. Many Cambodian workers are now stranded at the border without enough money to get them home."

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4126

Veronica Pedrosa @Vpedrosa · 13h

Cam-Thai border 37k have crossed as of today now zero transport available for tonight. Thousands stranded and sleeping in the open.

Steve Herman @W7VOA · 14h

MT @IOMasiapacific: #IOM working all night with #Cambodia to get home 1000s of migrants returning from #Thailand

Truck loads are being escorted threw Kap Choeng to the Chong Chom Border Crossing daily.

Rumor is a great weapon of those who would subvert the truth.

We see here what trouble it can cause.

The Thai labour-market will miss a lot of employee who are willing to work almost free with out any human rights and safety rules.

If Thailand has a purge on illegal workers it will soon come apparent that they do need these people, so lets hope instead of relaxing control as they have done in the past this time the actually issue work permits for certain trades.

OP title a bit odd, rumors do not "force" people to leave...

Cambodian workers building the house next door (10-15 of them) do not seem half-worried about this.

More cheerful bunch than the Thai family who worked on earlier stages of the building.

Many from Myanmar returning home, quite a few empty sites in our area.

They have had years under military rule so they are very wary.

Many from Myanmar returning home, quite a few empty sites in our area.

They have had years under military rule so they are very wary.

What has military rule in Cambodia made them wary of that they think will happen here?

Did all these people work somewhere??

Your first link and the paragraph you posted from it are laughable.

'Credible witnesses'????

You mean 'rumour mongers' with zero credibility who will say anything for a few Cambodian Real.

We all know that some people with certain connections in Cambodia would love to drag Cambodia into the situation using false information.

can you provide any witnesses that "we all know..". I think the jokes on you this time

Targetting the illegal teachers in schools here next?

A simple raid of each school to see everybody's WP, then off to military detention and deported if they don't have one would clean up the place a bit.

Well when were rumors that armed illegal Farang teacher shooting protesters?

Many from Myanmar returning home, quite a few empty sites in our area.

They have had years under military rule so they are very wary.

What has military rule in Cambodia made them wary of that they think will happen here?

Myanmar

Emptyset is only passing on reports from a Thai website, so why the vicious personal attacks that are contrary to TV forum rules.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed claims that the Thai military shot Cambodian workers, according to a report by China's official Xinhua news agency.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/workers-06132014145627.html

To ask why illegal migrants would be wary of the Thai military is laughable. However, from a few days ago:

From now on any illegal migrant workers found in Thailand "will be arrested and deported", Thai army spokeswoman, Sirichan Ngathong said. "We see illegal workers as a threat because there were a lot of them and no clear measures to handle them, which could lead to social problems," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/thai-junta-vows-to-arrest-migrant-workers/5517100

No workers on the site opposite my condo in Pratumnak Pattaya, I thought it was quiet today, they usually work 7 days a week

Targetting the illegal teachers in schools here next?

A simple raid of each school to see everybody's WP, then off to military detention and deported if they don't have one would clean up the place a bit.

And why is it that no one ever does this?

Because there would be a serious shortage of 'teachers'.

The schools would complain they can't find 'qualified' teachers for 35k a month, and whoever implemented the new crackdown would lose face because he or she would have to somehow go back to square one without looking stupid.

In most schools it's image over substance.

Emptyset is only passing on reports from a Thai website, so why the vicious personal attacks that are contrary to TV forum rules.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed claims that the Thai military shot Cambodian workers, according to a report by China's official Xinhua news agency.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/workers-06132014145627.html

To ask why illegal migrants would be wary of the Thai military is laughable. However, from a few days ago:

From now on any illegal migrant workers found in Thailand "will be arrested and deported", Thai army spokeswoman, Sirichan Ngathong said. "We see illegal workers as a threat because there were a lot of them and no clear measures to handle them, which could lead to social problems," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/thai-junta-vows-to-arrest-migrant-workers/5517100

I think they made the distinction between legal and illegal workers quite clear.

Raises a question about the real figures pertaining to foreign workers in Thailand.

Guess if papers are in order, there wouldn't be much trouble, although some would probably head back to their own

country anyway. For those working illegally here, yes - might be the right thing to leave Thailand.

Targetting the illegal teachers in schools here next?

A simple raid of each school to see everybody's WP, then off to military detention and deported if they don't have one would clean up the place a bit.

And that would mean the powers that be then having to relax the Work Permit requirements due to a shortage of teachers, meaning that many teachers with experience are gone, replaced by any old Tom, Dick and Harry with no teaching experience. I think that won't clean things up, but cause a bigger mess. While I agree that teachers should be on a WP, the requirements and what they are expecting are a bit wishful thinking.

A better target would be farang who work illegally doing boiler room stuff or are out here committing worse crimes than some guy improving someone's English speaking skills.

They would not be missed in the workplace if the army went around a lot of the villages and started kicking a few lazy arse Thai's out to work. Plenty of male labour in Thailand but no impetus to work for a lot of men who still live with and are supported by Mummy and Daddy when they are 45. Hanging around funeral parties at local Temple's swigging hootch from unmarked bottles, illegal card schools and gambling on Cock fighting, swinging in hammocks, smoking dope and anything rather than put in a useful shift. Given the power and a long sharp stick i could round up a hundred or more just from two local villages around me. If all the men were made to work there would be no need for Burmese, Cambodian or any other Foreign labour force.

They would not be missed in the workplace if the army went around a lot of the villages and started kicking a few lazy arse Thai's out to work. Plenty of male labour in Thailand but no impetus to work for a lot of men who still live with and are supported by Mummy and Daddy when they are 45. Hanging around funeral parties at local Temple's swigging hootch from unmarked bottles, illegal card schools and gambling on Cock fighting, swinging in hammocks, smoking dope and anything rather than put in a useful shift. Given the power and a long sharp stick i could round up a hundred or more just from two local villages around me. If all the men were made to work there would be no need for Burmese, Cambodian or any other Foreign labour force.

"if all the men were made to work" Maybe you should get yourself a sharp stick and let us know how that turns out...Turning Thailand into a forced labor camp would not make this a better country, for the oppressed, the oppressors or the Falang guests who would then be treated far worse.

We should look a bit deeper and in detail:

There are Cambodians and Burmese and others with a legal status, i.e. visa and WP here. They need not fear gettting busted,- at least not according to official notion.

The majority are illegal here. But still they are humans like everyone else here and everywhere, so a bit of compassion would suit us all. They are not voluntarily here, but because their situation at home made coming to Thailand look the better alternative. Let's not forget there were and are also tens of thousands of Thais working abroad,- for the same reason. Working abroad is a heavy burden on everybody: no family, no friends, likely different food and miserable accomodation. And on top of that most likely your boss is cheating you out of some or all of the agreed amount of money. And don't mention occupational health hazards.

Why so many of them came here to work? Because they are the cheaper labour, compared to Thais. Because they are not so lazy (be it true or not), that is why the companies prefer them. Daily minimum wage is 300 Baht/day, at least on paper. I don't know, if the law stipulates, that this is also valid for foreign staff, but certainly not for illegal staff. So especially those companies, that are very unproductive have to rely on cheap illegal labour, else they could not continue to exist. There have repeatedly been articles in the newspaper, that non-Thai crew members on fishing trawlers were thrown overboard to drown. Nobody will ask questions...

So this issue has two sides. The reasoning, that these foreigners take away jobs from Thais is BS. We have somewhere between 1 and 3% of unemployment in Thailand. Compare that to around 8% in the USA or 25-30% in countries like Spain, Greece or Italy. And by the end of next year the borders are open for these people to come in to work legally.

If it is a measure to get rid of unproductive sweatshops, I can agree with it. Or a measure to reduce criminal attacks like beating up the men or raping the girls. But my fear is, that this is a measure to push the nationalistic button in Thais. And that is a bad thing!

They come to Thailand for the opportunity to earn a bit more; however, the powers that be in Cambodia are closely allied with the Shins. What perhaps many of them see happening is a cleaning of the Shin's house from top to bottom. They want to stay clear.

OP title a bit odd, rumors do not "force" people to leave...

Cambodian workers building the house next door (10-15 of them) do not seem half-worried about this.

More cheerful bunch than the Thai family who worked on earlier stages of the building.

"PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – More than 80,000 Cambodians have fled neighboring Thailand to return home, fearing a crackdown on migrant workers under Thailand's new military government.

The governor of Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, Kor Samsarouet, said Saturday more than 84,000 have returned this month through the border crossing at the west Cambodian town of Poipet, including 40,000 on Friday.

The trigger for the exodus seems to have been statements by Thailand's military government, which took power in a coup last month, that it would crack down on illegal immigrants and those employing them. Several were reportedly fired from jobs and sent home, and the belief spread that legal and illegal workers were being ejected.

The numbers of those fleeing swelled as unsubstantiated rumors circulated that several workers had been shot dead by Thai authorities."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/06/14/84000-cambodians-flee-thailand-after-coup-fearing-crackdown-on-migrant-labor/

I think that what might have happened is that after army spokesperson said they were going to crack down and some arrests started taking place, employers wanted to get their workers out as soon as possible, and perhaps they spread rumours of shootings etc to get them to leave quicker? That seems most plausible scenario atm.

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Emptyset is only passing on reports from a Thai website, so why the vicious personal attacks that are contrary to TV forum rules.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed claims that the Thai military shot Cambodian workers, according to a report by China's official Xinhua news agency.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/workers-06132014145627.html

To ask why illegal migrants would be wary of the Thai military is laughable. However, from a few days ago:

From now on any illegal migrant workers found in Thailand "will be arrested and deported", Thai army spokeswoman, Sirichan Ngathong said. "We see illegal workers as a threat because there were a lot of them and no clear measures to handle them, which could lead to social problems," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/thai-junta-vows-to-arrest-migrant-workers/5517100

why the vicious personal attacks!

Vicious personal attacks...is what some posters...live for...makes their day...

They come to Thailand for the opportunity to earn a bit more; however, the powers that be in Cambodia are closely allied with the Shins. What perhaps many of them see happening is a cleaning of the Shin's house from top to bottom. They want to stay clear.

Actually there was a rumour that Thaksin had fallen out with Hun Sen a while back. That might be why Hun Sen has been more friendly towards the junta than you might expect, offering support and ruling out a govt in exile being based in Cambodia. Of course, China is likely playing a role here too. Anyway, geopolitics aside, I doubt tens of thousands of Khmer workers fleeing has much, if anything, to do with the Shinawatras... (aside from the obvious: that this is taking place after a coup that deposed a Shinawatra backed govt). Can't imagine that Thaksin and Thailand's internal politics were foremost in their thoughts as they left for the border.

haha whose letting rumours control their life haha sad

Rumor is a great weapon of those who would subvert the truth.

We see here what trouble it can cause.

Rumour is a great weapon, indeed. But in this case we don't see that.

There are not any important rumours involved. The junta IS forcibly, sometimes brutally deporting people. The junta IS dumping thousands at the border. The junta HAS WARNED officially it will keep deporting them by the tens of thousands. These all are entirely official statements.

I loved the foreign ministry denial that Thai forces didn't shoot many Cambodians. heh. Can't beat that for an official statement.

I think that what might have happened is that after army spokesperson said they were going to crack down and some arrests started taking place, employers wanted to get their workers out as soon as possible, and perhaps they spread rumours of shootings etc to get them to leave quicker? That seems most plausible scenario atm.

Why is it plausible? Because the Thai military would never kill hundreds and hundreds of Cambodian refugees AGAIN? Like they did before? Or physically mistreat tens of thousands, like they did before?

Isn't it equally plausible they would? And isn't it also plausible that Cambodians, fearing they would be beaten and tossed into trucks like other Cambodians have been since Wednesday, decided it would be better to do it on their own? Aren't these also plausible?

.

Quote: From now on any illegal migrant workers found in Thailand "will be arrested and deported", Thai army spokeswoman, Sirichan Ngathong said. "We see illegal workers as a threat because there were a lot of them and no clear measures to handle them, which could lead to social problems," she said.

and now my true story to this topic...

In a small town the head of police visited every month different companies. (mostly construction firms) and collected money. (bribe) The police knew all the companies where these "illegal" cambodian or burmese workers live and work. Why? Because these companies who hired so called "illegals" work together with the police. These "illegal" workers get around 200 Baht for one day work.

Who makes the biggest profit ? The construction companies and the police.

Who is the social problem ? The company owners ? The "illegal" workers ? The police ?

There is an interesting Thai saying: The only shame in Thailand is to be poor. So we can blame these "illegal" workers for beeing poor. The company bosses and the police are the winners because they make the big money.

I hope the military junta also understand this problem in Thai society.

The problem in Thailand is the concentration of wealth because it leads to a concentration of power that undermines democracy.

I think that what might have happened is that after army spokesperson said they were going to crack down and some arrests started taking place, employers wanted to get their workers out as soon as possible, and perhaps they spread rumours of shootings etc to get them to leave quicker? That seems most plausible scenario atm.

Why is it plausible? Because the Thai military would never kill hundreds and hundreds of Cambodian refugees AGAIN? Like they did before? Or physically mistreat tens of thousands, like they did before?

Isn't it equally plausible they would? And isn't it also plausible that Cambodians, fearing they would be beaten and tossed into trucks like other Cambodians have been since Wednesday, decided it would be better to do it on their own? Aren't these also plausible?

Certainly all plausible. I read the statement by the Cambodian Ministry of Affairs spokesman where he "dismissed" concerns that the Thai army had shot Cambodian migrants (as reported in BKK Post). I was initially inclined to trust this, but given what I said previously on this thread, the Cambodian Govt may put good relations with Thailand above the truth. Or maybe they just don't care. It seems like employer did put out the rumour that people could be shot, but that doesn't preclude actual shootings:

"Fear stalked their footprints. Unconfirmed rumours spread like wildfire that migrant workers had been beaten or shot. This fuelled Facebook postings that up to 30 Cambodians had been killed in Thailand since the military seized power on May 22. Government officials from both countries on Friday were unable to confirm the rumour, and denied any shooting incidents.

Prompted by eyewitness accounts, Adhoc, a rights group, said it was investigating nine cases where Cambodian workers were allegedly killed during violent Thai police-led raids. The group said one death had already been confirmed by the victim’s family in Prey Veng."

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/fear-and-loathing-poipet