Police rescue stranded Cambodians
KHANITA SITONG,
THAMMARAT KIJCHALONG
THE NATION



75 ADULTS, SIX KIDS LURED TO BUILD A RESORT LEFT ABANDONED ON ISLAND

BANGKOK: -- SEVENTY-FIVE Cambodian workers and six children marooned for 10 days after being lured to build a resort on Koh Mook in Trang's Kantang district were rescued on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, Employment Department chief Sumet Mahosot yesterday said 444,097 migrant workers and 48,541 accompanying persons had registered at the 34 "one-stop" service centres nationwide and as a result the scheme would be expanded to 53 provinces and the operation time extended until next March 31.

Sunday's rescue mission by Trang marine police and soldiers from the Phraya Ratsadanu Pradit Camp began after the workers asked local villagers to call the authorities so they could return to Cambodia.

There were 109 Cambodians in total but 27 workers had been moved to work in Yan Ta Khao district.

The police investigation found that the workers had obtained legal documents from Sa Kaew authorities but were taken to the island by their employer, who collected them from Sa Kaew's Rong Kleu Market area.

A Cambodian worker said they had been promised construction jobs in Bangkok.

He said that when several workers resisted, the employer seized their passports and work documents and threatened to have them arrested.

They had been on the island for 10 days without jobs, money or food, with resort workers and villagers helping them as much as they could. He said that fearing abandonment and starving to death, the workers asked villagers to call for help. Police are keeping the workers - who can stay in the country until September 23 - in Muang Kantang municipality while they investigate.

Their employer, Pran Rakmai, 43, has presented himself to police.

Pran insisted he had no intention of illegally detaining them or becoming involved in human trafficking. He said he had spent Bt700,000 on bringing them to the island and they had no jobs because he had to negotiate with the resort owner over the construction price.

Some workers might have misunderstood what they would be doing, he said, and he kept some passports and documents because he didn't have time to fill out information before they boarded the boat to the island.

Police yesterday summoned the resort owner to provide information.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-rescue-stranded-Cambodians-30240234.html

[thenation]2014-08-05[/thenation]

 

Pran insisted he had no intention of illegally detaining them or becoming involved in human trafficking

 

no, this thai scumbag just let them starving to death, and i guess he will just get fined 500 baht by the thai police

"Pran insisted he had no intention of illegally detaining them or becoming involved in human trafficking. He said he had spent Bt700,000 on bringing them to the island and they had no jobs because he had to negotiate with the resort owner over the construction price."

 

How could it have cost Baht 7,000 to transport each person from Arranyapathet to the island? Utter bullshit as is the excuse for taking their passports etc.

Sure.... some workers might have misunderstood while being left on the island without food... no food, euh sorry, you misunderstood!

It is time that such employerd are dealt with amd prosecuted to the full extend of the law

He must be confused. 7000 each sounds like the cost of a round-trip ticket on Thai Airways.

Rescuing them is only part of the deal, failure to provide real justice on this issue will be highly visible to the outside world. The balls in your court Thailand.