180 Cambodian migrant workers scammed, stranded in Thailand

[webfact]

180 Cambodian Migrant Workers Scammed, Stranded In Thailand
By Khaosod Ebglish


A migrant worker document obtained through the Thai broker that scammed 180 Cambodian immigrants into coming to Thailand for jobs that never materialized.

SAMUT SAKORN – Almost 200 Cambodians were stranded outside of Bangkok after a Thai broker scammed them with the promise of illusory jobs in exchange for 20,000 baht each.

The Cambodian migrants, 117 men and 63 women, were found at around 2 am this morning following a tip off, said Pol.Lt. Boonliang Wansamngan, an officer at Krathoom Ban Police Station.

Police sent the Cambodians to Wat Tha Sao Temple where monks provided them with food, water, and accommodation. Officials from Ministry of Labour arrived at the temple later in the day to gather information about the group.

"Some of them haven't eaten for a whole day," said Pol.Lt. Boonliang.

According to Pol.Lt. Boonliang, the migrants said a Thai broker told them he needed 200 Cambodians to work in Thailand, where they could 300 baht per day. The broker also reportedly promised the workers they could earn at least 20,000 baht per month if they worked overtime.

The migrants said the Thai broker, who was not named, charged each of them 15,000-20,000 baht for the service; those who already owned passports were able to pay less.

The broker then allegedly smuggled the group into Thailand on 19 August and placed them in a residential building while those without passports applied for migrant worker IDs in Pong Nam Ron District, Chantaburi province. However, unlike legitimate workers’ documents, the IDs lacked the names of Thai employers, the migrants reported.

Once all of the migrant workers received their IDs, they were instructed to board 12 vans and told that they would be taken to work at two factories and a construction site in Samut Sakorn province, Pol.Lt. Boonliang said.

But one of the van drivers "suddenly felt pity" and confessed to the Cambodians that they were victims of a scam. He then called the police and convinced the other vans to drop the passengers off in Samut Sakorn province.

Pol.Lt. Boonliang said the case is under investigation.

Thailand is home to hundreds of thousands of undocumented Cambodian migrant workers who come to Thailand through smuggling networks. Their undocumented status often makes them vulnerable to abuse by their employers, smugglers, and corrupt authorities.

In July, six Cambodian women were allegedly raped by Thai brokers who smuggled them into Thailand.

Shortly after the military junta staged a coup on 22 May, more than 200,000 Cambodian workers fled the country en masse, fearing a possible crackdown on undocumented migrants. Many of the migrants have returned to Thailand, while the junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has launched efforts to reform the migrant worker system and legally register alien workers.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1408532221&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-08-21

[Basil B]

I hope they get the crooks behind this, lets hope they get what they deserve.

[Somtamnication]

Scum of the earth. These people are hard working, poor folk. Probably borrowed money from loan sharks to pay this pig.

[Dumu Ali]

very sad story and we should all pray for those poor exploited people at the hands of cruel and wicked scammers, even Robin Hood gonna cry if he hears this

[Bender]

from A to Z, this story is completely sickening.

Stealing from rich, thats a bad thing,

but stealing from poor, people who have absolutely nothing, people who dont have money to feed themselves or their family, how do you call this?

yeah sickening!

by the way welcome to thailand.

[EnzoRippo]

They will obviously finish the trip in jail. Even the now legals will become illegals.One day or another Thai police will ask them the money they don't have.

One more time, they PAY THAILAND to end in THAI prison.

I don't see any big improvement since 22 May.

And afterwards, the junta will tell that, if Thailand is still finger pointed by the foreigners, it's because the foreigners don't understand THAINESS.

Yes, we do understand.

[shirtless]

This is the price you pay when doing business in Thailand, the land of scammers.

[bangkokheat]

+ 1 to all the above,

wouldnt you love to get your hands on the scammers and dish out some old fashioned justice, something to scar them for life.

I feel so sorry for those cambodians

[Fiddlesticks]

Getting tired of reading about all the greed, corruption, and abuse that seems to permeate the entire fabric of Thai society. Why don't people write about all the good things that Thailand represents? For instance, there's . . . uh . . . um. . . Well, there's, you know, . . . ! Hummm maybe that is why we only hear negative things!

[chainarong]

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Getting tired of reading about all the greed, corruption, and abuse that seems to permeate the entire fabric of Thai society. Why don't people write about all the good things that Thailand represents? For instance, there's . . . uh . . . um. . . Well, there's, you know, . . . ! Hummm maybe that is why we only hear negative things! alt=whistling.gif>

Some have come to the conclusion over time that the best thing about Thailand is when you leave it.

[Christie Paul]

Events like this are hugely dangerous. And not just for the victims.

Lets not forget that Thailand has just booted out tens of thousands of 30 day back to back visa types - many of them who used to belong to the "we love Thailand free publicity machine" and who lived a good part of their life on the internet. They now reside in Cambodia and other places. We can expect every negative event to be multiplied by a few thousand blogs and tweets, by people who have had their existence up ended.

On the other hand, perhaps it may work to good. The way Cambodians and the most vulnerable are generally treated is repulsive and deserves to be exposed. I think most humane and reasonable Thais would agree.

[cardinalblue]

This is actually worse than the definition of human smuggling ...

Will the thai justice system fight for retribution for this group of people? Sadly they have no proven track record so this unethical and illegal behavior continues unabated....

And people bitch we say too many bad things about Thailand....

[Christie Paul]

Getting tired of reading about all the greed, corruption, and abuse that seems to permeate the entire fabric of Thai society. Why don't people write about all the good things that Thailand represents? For instance, there's . . . uh . . . um. . . Well, there's, you know, . . . ! Hummm maybe that is why we only hear negative things!

Actually, there was a sense of freedom here, a kind of live and let live thing going. That, in my opinion was a major draw of the country. It permeated the very air. When one crossed the border from Malaysia to Thailand it was visceral. From hatred and oppression to live and let live, with all its faults and flaws.

Now it seems that very quality is being replaced with "ze krackdown".

Let's how attractive that is.

[kerrysum]

Hey folks,

Let's get a grip on this, it just didn't happen yesterday, and has been going on for many years.! It is simply called, "human trafficking," and it happens the world around. Doesn't matter if it is labor, sex trade, name it what you want it.... So let us wake up to the fact, someone is asking someone, to sell their soul...... Let us get the truth out somehow.... Tired of hearing it...... And where is the United Nations, and Amnesty International? Answer? Never where it counts....

Kerry.....

And if you have a doubt try something new..... Study history...

[SOTIRIOS]

...but when Thais go to a foreign country.....they cry 'foul' if they are not paid at least 20x their normal salaries....

...talk about a 'one-way street'.........

[scorecard]

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kerrysum, on 21 Aug 2014 - 09:38, said:

Hey folks,

Let's get a grip on this, it just didn't happen yesterday, and has been going on for many years.! It is simply called, "human trafficking," and it happens the world around. Doesn't matter if it is labor, sex trade, name it what you want it.... So let us wake up to the fact, someone is asking someone, to sell their soul...... Let us get the truth out somehow.... Tired of hearing it...... And where is the United Nations, and Amnesty International? Answer? Never where it counts....

Kerry.....

And if you have a doubt try something new..... Study history... width=32 alt=coffee1.gif> width=32 alt=coffee1.gif> width=32 alt=coffee1.gif>

Certainly agree 'where is the UN'.

IMHO the UN does some good but on many fronts it's a complete failure.

Surely one of the reasons for creation of the UN was to protect these people in terms of their vulnerability and to create a system whereby these folks have personal documentation recognized world wide, giving them access to travel and in fact the same rights as all citizens of this world.

We're now well into the 21st century and there are still millions of stateless people (including in and around Thailand), in fact the UN in it's 100 years of history has achieved nothing on this front.

The UN seems to just ignore all of this.

Edited August 21, 2014 by scorecard

[Loles]

This is full disgusting what do they many Thais to these unlucky poor slavers, who build up Thailand. No words for it.

[glasswort]

Last week more than 30 illegal immigrants were found in a shipping container in London. No doubt these poor folk were charged exorbitant amounts for their passages and promised heaven knows what. It is not right but Thailand is not the only country where scamming takes place.

[silomplaya]

Poor cambodians getting scammed by greedy thai

s not fair at all, i feel for these folk they are the innocent hard working people building thailand up and then

spat on for doing so.

Edited August 21, 2014 by silomplaya

[AloisAmrein]

Not only illegal ivory trade, also illegal slave trade. Welcome to glorious Thailand.

[gringo99]

Wow Cambodian can earn 20000 b month in Thai . Pity my exgf nurse in ubon rat cha than I earn 8900 b.my friend with bachelor work at amari water gate front platinum get 15000b without bonus

[balo]

We have a new P.M now so it should be easy to catch the scammer and continue the crackdown on all the scams and corruption in this beautiful kingdom.

Edited August 21, 2014 by balo

[gringo99]

Yes balo as Israel do against Thai worker . Great attitude .

[webfact]

Cambodian Worker Scam Was A 'Misunderstanding,' Police Say
By Khaosod English


190 Cambodian workers who were originally thought to be victims of a scam were brought to Wat Tha Sao Temple to receive food and water on 20 August 2014.

SAMUT SAKORN — New details have emerged suggesting that the 190 Cambodian workers who were left in a paddy field in Samut Sakorn province yesterday morning are not victims of a scam as was previously feared.

After receiving a tip-off yesterday, police picked up the migrants in Samut Sakorn province, where they had been abandoned by their van drivers, and brought them to a Wat Tha Sao Temple to receive food and water. The migrant workers told police and local administrators that they were duped into paying a Thai broker 20,000 baht each for the promise of work in Thailand.

However, the manager of BS Work company, Wirat Phandontri, later arrived at Wat Tha Sao Temple and identified himself as the Cambodians’ legitimate employer.

Mr. Wirat said he contracted 158 workers through a middleman for his company, which is based in Pathum Thani province. He claimed he did not know why the drivers decided to leave the workers behind in Samut Sakorn province.

"I think the drivers misunderstood," Mr. Wirat said, "I told them to take [the workers] to a destination in Pathum Thani, but they ended up driving them to Samut Sakorn."

The migrant workers told police that one of their van drivers in Thailand "suddenly felt pity" and told them they were victims of a scam. He then called the police and convinced the other vans to drop the passengers off in Samut Sakorn province.

Pol.Col. Thanapol Suwannawong, an investigative officer at Krathoom Ban Police Station, told Khaosod English that the police are no longer investigating the case.

"They sent the workers to the wrong place," Pol.Col. Thanapol said.

Most of the workers, 158, were later transported to apply for work permits at a One Stop Service centre in Pathum Thani province, which will allow them to stay and work in Thailand legally until 31 March 2015.

Mr. Wirat said that he did not contract the other 32 Cambodians in the group, who police say are the husbands, wives, and relatives of the contracted workers. They were released from police custody and can stay in Thailand until 1 September, per the limit of their tourist visas.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1408609826


-- Khaosod English 2014-08-21

[Cuchulainn]

.............However, the manager of BS Work company, Wirat Phandontri, later arrived at Wat Tha Sao Temple and identified himself as the Cambodians’ legitimate employer...............

Wonder what BS stands for?

[chotthee]

.............However, the manager of BS Work company, Wirat Phandontri, later arrived at Wat Tha Sao Temple and identified himself as the Cambodians’ legitimate employer...............

Wonder what BS stands for?

British Standard

Blue Sky

Bisexual

Bible Study

Backside

[silomplaya]

Thai police says it happened then it must have happened .

[Sampradaya]

Poor Cambodians! They are prepared to do the work that these lazy dumb locals dont want to do, hope this scammer rots in jail!

Land of smiles, land of sorrows!

Scams, cheating, overcharging, stabbing in the back - the list goes on - thats what these locals can do best!!!

[balo]

Good job PM , already solved this case.

[belg]

housing, 12 vans, and they cannot find the thai human traffickers, right ?

deport them all and let the scamming game continue