Fourth Army to regulate migrant workers on Koh Tao

[webfact]

Fourth Army to regulate migrant workers in Koh Tao



BANGKOK: -- The Fourth Army Region will meet all service operators in Koh Tao in an effort to regulate all foreign workers in Koh Tao island.

The move came after Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha offered the Southern Army to reorganise all services on the island, and rid off all influential people to ensure safety for tourists.

Gen Prayuth’s order came in wake of the murder of two British tourists on September 15.

Commander of the Vibhavadi Rangsit barrack will meet operators today at 2.00 p.m.

Currently there are more than 4,000 migrant workers working in Koh Tao, 3,000 were registered, and the rest were not.

Authorities required all migrant workers to register to enable efficient control and supervision.

(Photo : ThaiPBS file)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/fourth-army-regulate-migrant-workers-koh-tao/

-- Thai PBS 2014-09-26

[khwaibah]

Still no corruption. Send the army in.

[Neilly]

The move came after Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha offered the Southern Army to reorganise all services on the island, and rid off all influential people to ensure safety for tourists.

Sorry to say but my cynical self says I'll believe that it when I see this

[NeverSure]

Somewhere recently I read that all of that island is public land and the businesses are squatters. Sorry no link. Does anyone else remember that in an article here?

So just how influential are these people when other people in teak forests and in Pattaya and Phuket are having their homes and businesses bulldozed?

Anyone remember?

[Neilly]

Somewhere recently I read that all of that island is public land and the businesses are squatters. Sorry no link. Does anyone else remember that in an article here?

So just how influential are these people when other people in teak forests and in Pattaya and Phuket are having their homes and businesses bulldozed?

Anyone remember?

This one I think...

These families are the descendents of the original settler families that arrived on the island between the 1940s and 1980s, prior to the advent of dive tourism. Although they do not own land (all land on the island is technically owned by the King via the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources) they do have a form of squatters rights that allows them to extract rent and develop businesses on their patch. A very small land rent is then payable to the crown for every “rai” (a Thai measurement of land) that they possess.

http://mikeestravels.com/2014/09/25/the-dark-side-of-thailands-island-paradise/

[fab4]

There goes the dive industry. Just how many Thai Dive Instructors are working down there?

[toybits]

Pity these migrant workers risk life and limb to be here and then be blamed when something wrong happens in their vicinity.

[Nickymaster]

There goes the dive industry. Just how many Thai Dive Instructors are working down there?

Currently there are more than 4,000 migrant workers working in Koh Tao, 3,000 were registered, and the rest were not. So it affects 25% of foreign workers and it doesn't affect Thai workers. The diving industry is not going anywhere drama queen.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Nickymaster

[fab4]

There goes the dive industry. Just how many Thai Dive Instructors are working down there?

Currently there are more than 4,000 migrant workers working in Koh Tao, 3,000 were registered, and the rest were not. So it affects 25% of foreign workers and it doesn't affect Thai workers. The diving industry is not going anywhere drama queen.

Arguing for the sake of it or do you actually know what you're talking about? I think I can guess.

[JOC]

We can't solve the murdercase, so let us do a crackdown on migrant workers!!

"And get rid of all influential people", so the lucrative businesses can be taken over by the guys in uniform??

All those drastic actions are not to solve the problem, but just to save whatever little "face" there is left!

[khunpa]

Would it not be smarter to have started with regulating and getting rid of the corrupt police. Then solve the murders and after that carry on with other stuff?

But "Ohh No". Instead it is better to indirectly blame the immigrant workers for the murders, by putting focus on them and try to move focus from what is really important (corruption and unsolved murders).

[JOC]

Would it not be smarter to have started with regulating and getting rid of the corrupt police. Then solve the murders and after that carry on with other stuff?

But "Ohh No". Instead it is better to indirectly blame the immigrant workers for the murders, by putting focus on them and try to move focus from what is really important (corruption and unsolved murders).

You should know by now, that logic and Thainess are not part of the same solarsystem!!

[Crazy chef 1]

i think they're just looking to pick some poor chap to blame him for the murder of the two Brits-case solved and closed.

[tbthailand]

There goes the dive industry. Just how many Thai Dive Instructors are working down there?

dive instructors aren't migrant workers, they are multiple-entry tourists.

There were a lot of migrant worker registrations after the Cambodian worker deportations.

But this is a stupid, knee-jerk reaction against the Burmese, IMO.

[BangkokHank]

So is this the conclusion that they draw from this debacle - that migrant workers need to be better controlled?

[ParadiseLost]

This makes me wonder how so many new foreign owned businesses are opening up on KT and here on KP - I see hardly any Thai staff working in restaurants for example, majority Myanmar nationals...

How will this affect the diving industry? Well, there will most certainly be a shortage of qualified DMs as most are Farangs working illegally while they pursuit their hobby. That will certainly stop now - at least for a while. This is only my impression - I am not involved with the diving industry.

They should not stop with KT - KP has way more Myanmar (workers and/or other).

At the same time it would be good to improve the migrant labor work and living conditions; they do not have a dream life on these islands, and generally they are nice people.

[smutcakes]

I thought the Deputy Head of Police announced there were no influential people on the Island?

I thought they also announced that the registration of migrant workers had been completed.

[Commerce]

Such action should be applied to all islands, and regions and provinces of Thailand, and not only simply to KT - just because it's after the event.

[Pib]

BANGKOK: -- The Fourth Army Region will meet all service operators in Koh Tao in an effort to regulate all foreign workers in Koh Tao island.

Summary: you WILL get your foreign workers registered by X-date or you will be arrested with swift justice to follow.

[falangjim]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/admin/specials/nationphoto/photo/6KodskH.jpg

Arrogant Thais.

[chainarong]

The 4th Army is everywhere, unfortunately the area is the domain of the immigration Department, migrant is immigration, so why aren't immigration handling this problem and also policing it, the army is a jack of all trades and a master of none, go figure.

[SteveFong]

you could also read it to mean,

the 4th Army is now the ONLY employer on the island,

everyone else,

bye bye

[Loles]

Of course the migrant workers will be so happy for it.

And what about the local tourist mafia there? Any regulation?

[fab4]

There goes the dive industry. Just how many Thai Dive Instructors are working down there?

dive instructors aren't migrant workers, they are multiple-entry tourists.

There were a lot of migrant worker registrations after the Cambodian worker deportations.

But this is a stupid, knee-jerk reaction against the Burmese, IMO.

I'm well aware of that, even if a certain poster isn't, hence my guarded question. The registered migrant workers they refer to are likely in the "restaurant" and "accommodation" business, not recreational diving. The tank boys and maybe a few divemasters will likely be Thai. The trouble will come when the 4th Army take this literally (quote from the OP)

The Fourth Army Region will meet all service operators in Koh Tao in an effort to regulate all foreign workers in Koh Tao island.

[kkup]

Army has arrested Koh Tao mafia families for murder after small bribe offerings.. The local army sent in to investigate the murders of two British tourists have finally seen the light and succumbed to media scrutiny. After only receiving small bribes each from the mafia they decided it wasn't worth hiding the truth any longer. A senior army official quoted "What's the point in continuing to lie to the world for only 100 baht?, if they want us to keep tampering with evidence and making up silly stories we must at least get a few thousand baht each."

[wilcopops]

"and rid off all influential people " - so there's no "mafia" only "influential people"?

...and although the immigrant workers don't seem to have anything to do with it, they are to have their communal collars felt by the army?

So....how does all this catch the killers?

[MobileContent]

Fourth Army should regulate the police.

[noitom]

The Thai army should regulate those Thai big men.

[wilcopops]

The Thai army should regulate those Thai big men.

probably end up going for a drink with them.

Edited September 26, 2014 by wilcopops

[JoeLing]

This makes me wonder how so many new foreign owned businesses are opening up on KT and here on KP - I see hardly any Thai staff working in restaurants for example, majority Myanmar nationals...

How will this affect the diving industry? Well, there will most certainly be a shortage of qualified DMs as most are Farangs working illegally while they pursuit their hobby. That will certainly stop now - at least for a while. This is only my impression - I am not involved with the diving industry.

They should not stop with KT - KP has way more Myanmar (workers and/or other).

At the same time it would be good to improve the migrant labor work and living conditions; they do not have a dream life on these islands, and generally they are nice people.

When and where did you see "Foreign Owned Businesses" here on the island?

We might have paid for it but sure, we don't own it!

Edited September 26, 2014 by JoeLing