Drug Crazed Cambodians Force Captain Ashore

SATTAHIP – July 21, 2014 [Pattaya Daily News]; at 8.00 a.m., Mr. Phawat Lertmookda (Sattahip sheriff, Chonburi Province) together with Mr. Chawat Thepthap (Deputy District Chief of Security Division), Mr. Banjerd Janthet (village headman of village no. 1, Samae San) and forces of special operation officers of National Command Centre for Combating Drugs (NCCD), Amphur Sattahip, had together arrested 5 alien workers, Cambodian nationality, that were the crews of “Phithakmongkhon” squid fishing boat, which consisted of Mr. Nueng, aged 35 (the head of gang), Mr. Serd, aged 22, Mr. Nat, aged 23, Mr. Nak, aged 25 and Mr. Song, aged 30, with the allegation of consuming amphetamines, smuggling to enter into the city illegally and using weapons to threaten with the intention to murder.

Full story:http://www.pattayadailynews.com/pattaya-news/drug-crazed-cambodians-force-captain-ashore/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2014-07-22

There have been several recent news stories of Cambodian workers being held as slaves on Thai fishing boats and bring forced to work under draconian conditions against their will. Wonder if this is the real story here...

The slaves who live and die on Thailand’s fishing boats 16/02/14

You could, with justification, call it hell on earth.
But this poisonous practice takes place far from land, on the tepid seas of South East Asia. It is called slavery and it has not gone away. In fact, there are thousands of slaves currently working and dying on Thai fishing boats.
If that sounds shocking, let me tell you how it works: men from impoverished communities in Cambodia and Burma depart for Thailand every year, looking for work in factories, plantations or the fields. The experts call them “irregular migrants” – men without passports or proper papers, willing to travel great distances in order to provide for their families at home.
Unscrupulous brokers and human traffickers meet them at the border and offer what sounds like an unbeatable deal – a route into Thailand and a job once they get there. However, it is a well-worked trick.
In reality, these unlucky men have been are sold, for a couple of hundred dollars each, to the owners of Thai fishing boats. Typically, the lie is revealed as the boat leaves the shore and the coastline fades from view.
Seafood is big business in Thailand – it’s now the third largest exporter in the world, supplying supermarkets in Europe and America. But the fishing fleet is chronically short of crew – by the government’s own estimation 50,000 additional labourers are required.

ctd http://blogs.channel4.com/world-news-blog/slaves-live-die-thailands-fishing-boats

Were they fed amphetamines to increase their work rate?

Yes, Google turns up stories like that

eg

http://pages.citebite.com/o3p4d8m9s8wjh

Oldest guy was 35 but looks 55 the rest look 16 and under, with the smallest looking about 12.