Curfew for migrant workers on islands in Surat Thani may be imposed

[webfact]

Curfew for migrant workers on islands in Surat Thani may be imposed



Curfew for migrant workers on islands in Koh Phangan may be imposed to prevent crimes.

BANGKOK: -- This was what the governor of Surat Thani province disclosed Monday after banning beach parties on three islands, with the exception of Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan.

Chatpong Chatphuti, the governor of Surat Thani province, held a meeting with all the relevant local government agencies involved in looking after the security of tourist on the three main islands. The three popular tourist destinations are Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands.

The governor has ordered that all beach parties are strictly forbidden following the fallout from the incident of the two murdered Britons in Koh Tao Island.

He stated that the incident has severely damaged Thailand’s image as a tourist destination.

He said beach parties such as the Black Moon and Half Moon parties be forbidden.

However, the world famous Full Moon party will still be allowed to go ahead but will have to be strictly regulated, he said.

The governor has expressed his plan to impose curfew for foreign workers in the three islands.

By doing this, foreign workers will be forbidden to be outside of their residences after 10.00 pm.

He stated that this was because most of the workers working on the islands are fluent in English allowing them to easily mingle with foreign tourists while claiming to be local Thais.

“Actually by law no such parties are allowed to be organized. I advise that operators involved in such activities cooperate with authorities to help improve tourism for the country. As for the policy for the strict control of foreign workers movement by forbidding them outside their residence after 10.00 pm, you must remember that the country is in fact still under martial law. We will allow some lea-way of course but what we must keep in mind that the recent murder has severely damaged Thailand’s image.”

In a parallel development, representatives of an organization looking after the welfare of foreign labor has received permission to speak to the two Myanmar suspects in the case of the two murdered British tourists on Koh Tao today. This follows the Koh Samui provincial court ordering them to be detained for a third time at the provincial court’s jail to await trial.

Thawatchai Siengjeaw, the director-general of the 8th region prosecutors’ office, stated that the reason why the men haven’t been prosecuted is because the case file has not been completed.

He stated that investigators in the case have not presented all the necessary evidence and points which has resulted in the men being detained for a third twelve day period to await trial.

Meanwhile, in Krabi province, Pol. Maj. Gen. Decha Butnampetch the acting police commissioner for the 8thRegion Provincial Police, has instructed the Krabi police to strictly enforce the law during the coming tourist high season along the Andaman sea coastline. Pol. Maj. Gen. has ordered that the highest priority be given to the safety and security of tourists as well as closely monitoring marine traffic.

(Photo: Koh Samui )

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/curfew-migrant-workers-islands-surat-thani-may-imposed/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-28

[NamKAheng]

Next step, concentration camp!

[Samui Coconut]

Next step, concentration camp!

Yes, did the governor think before he opened his mouth? What an utter nonsense....Koh Auschwitz, Koh Dachau and Koh Bergen Belsen...because migrant workers speak better English than most Thais they have to be in bed when the street lights come on??? There will come a time when the migrant worker will NOT pretend he/she is Thai....but be proud of his/her own nationality. And that time is not too far away.....

Imagine locking up Thai Nationals in your home country at 10pm daily......what a joke!

[Rooo]

Next step, concentration camp!

The curfew on foreign workers has always been in place. Workers not to leave camp after 9 pm, not to be in possession of mobile phones & not allowed to ride motorbikes, nothing new here, just enforcing what has been in place for years.

[tx22cb]

Curfew on foreign workers - only for Burmese, sea gypsies and those from the Indian subcontinent, right?

Surely this will not apply to the Brits/Aussies/Japanese/Americans/Russians etc who own/manage the restaurants/discos/clubs or who work as DJs, singers, band members, cooks etc?

[Rob8891]

Whilst there is no doubt that the tragic murders harmed Thai tourism, perhaps the Governor, police and Government might pause to reflect on how much more damage has been caused by their inept handling of the case.

....oh, and the rumours of alleged corruption shielding the alleged truly guilty party.

Blaming migrant workers for everything just does not wash. If they are under curfew, who can be blamed for the next crimes?...tourists??

[NamKAheng]

Next step, concentration camp!

The curfew on foreign workers has always been in place. Workers not to leave camp after 9 pm, not to be in possession of mobile phones & not allowed to ride motorbikes, nothing new here, just enforcing what has been in place for years

I did not know that.

Still look like a concentration camp.

[RustBucket]

Yet another astounding display of human rights abuse from the Thai authorities.

Keep it up guys. UN sanctions are on the way next year and you are so dumb you don't realize it.

Why the hell would anyone claim to be Thai?.... This is the typical Thai self image of superiority. They don't even realise almost all those migrant workers are proud to be what they are as a nationality.... Claiming themselves to be Thai is definitely going to scare the tourists off, because most probably already know not to trust a Thai.

Edited October 28, 2014 by RustBucket

[Katipo]

Racist, xenophobic, moron. Doesn't he realise that by keeping the migrants at home it will make it more difficult to use them as scapegoats next time?

[Lupatria]

Thailand's failure to win a seat on the United Nations Human rights Council last week came down to several factors.

Now they can add a tiny little one to the other factors: Labor camps for foreign workers. Now I'm waiting for a public bidding for spring guns, electric fences and watchtowers.

[daoyai]

Hmmm. since 90% of wait staff and kitchen workers as well as resort staff are Burmese (on KT) this should get interesting. As to pretending to be Thai, the Burmese I met on KT seemed to be proud NOT to be Thai, tanika face powder is a symbol and often worn.

Edited October 28, 2014 by daoyai

[klauskunkel]

He stated that this was because most of the workers working on the islands are fluent in English allowing them to easily mingle with foreign tourists while claiming to be local Thais.

So the foreign workers are fluent in English and can therefore camouflage as local Thais? English fluency is proof they are not Thai. Dodo.

[bangkokheat]

Curfew for migrant workers on islands in Koh Phangan may be imposed to prevent crimes

that makes perfect sense, we all know its only the migrant workers capable of committing crime

[xygote]

So, by this logic and if 90% of restaurant, resort and bar workers are foreign imports, does this mean that bars, clubs and restaurants must be staffed by Thais only after 10pm or will they have to close too?

Reasoning like this can surely only come from one appointed through nepotism or via a bought post, not from someone who has truly worked his way up and who, therefore, has a frikkin clue?

[Briggsy]

This is called disinformation.

Its dissemination is to distract from inept law enforcement and frequent participation in criminal activities by the police and the connected families on the islands.

[Sydebolle]

Look at the bright side. The longer the local authorities drag their feet in this case the more the all-so-holy-islanders will be footing the bill - they became the touristic laughing stock/nightmare destination of the world already and one can only hope that tourists go elsewhere - the choice is there.

If this curfew thing would have been in force two months ago then the British teenagers might be equally dead but the racist element would have been out of the DNA switching. These Burmese boys were most likely just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Should this racism carry on then the people of the Land of the Free will be the locked-up in doing their own unwanted jobs ones as the Burmese, Filipinos, Khmer and other ASEAN citizen have much better choices and chances than Khon Thai. Just wait for the message to sink into that bureaucratic slime of governmental mafia in suits and big Mercedes cars. And I refer to the local politicians, not the present team of SWAT team trying hard to clean up the world's possibly biggest political garbage dump called Prathet Thai 8-)
But as the saying goes "welcome to the Land of Smiles" - let's wait and see who smiles last .....

[Crazy chef 1]

it is getting more and more bizarre...

are they aware that ASEAN is comming?

[jollyhangmon]

Next step, concentration camp!

The curfew on foreign workers has always been in place. Workers not to leave camp after 9 pm, not to be in possession of mobile phones & not allowed to ride motorbikes, nothing new here, just enforcing what has been in place for years

I did not know that.

Still look like a concentration camp.

+1 & who puts a 'curfew' on thousands of local brainsickos - in some places perfectly backed up by equivalent (quality-)tourists - who roam the streets (at any given time rather) going moronic after just smelling some alcohol from far ...?

[Bsd]

Well this will make tourists safer, with all of the restaurants and bars having to close before 10pm so their staff can get home, there will be no need for them to wander about the streets at night and therefore they will not be at risk of being robbed or attacked.

Also does this mean that the full moon party will end at 10pm as 2/3rds of the staff have to go home?

Or will restaurants start building accommodation on site for their staff so they can work later. "But Mr Policeman, I live in this building, I am already home"

[RigPig]

Next step, concentration camp!

The curfew on foreign workers has always been in place. Workers not to leave camp after 9 pm, not to be in possession of mobile phones & not allowed to ride motorbikes, nothing new here, just enforcing what has been in place for years.

WOW!!! That's unbelievable (but I believe it), so this is actually law?

And the NHCR hasn't jumped on this, that's criminal in itself.

It would shut down a lot of tailors shops in Phuket if it was enforced.

[RigPig]

TAT are still promoting the full moon party so they couldn't exactly shut that down huh.......

Incompetent imbeciles at their highest!!!

[mjnaus]

Next step, concentration camp!

The curfew on foreign workers has always been in place. Workers not to leave camp after 9 pm, not to be in possession of mobile phones & not allowed to ride motorbikes, nothing new here, just enforcing what has been in place for years.

So what? That doesn't make it any less of an idiotic measure...

[Oziex1]

Whilst there is no doubt that the tragic murders harmed Thai tourism, perhaps the Governor, police and Government might pause to reflect on how much more damage has been caused by their inept handling of the case.

....oh, and the rumours of alleged corruption shielding the alleged truly guilty party.

Blaming migrant workers for everything just does not wash. If they are under curfew, who can be blamed for the next crimes?...tourists??

Blaming tourists, well they attempted that at the beginning of the Koh Tao case.

As for who can be blamed well curfew breakers of course.

[Oziex1]

I'll try again a question asked by a few, I see no response, is there anyone on Koh Tao or anyone been there recently that can report on the vibe there and the amount of tourists there?

[FredNL]

I am not visiting the Koh Rupt Thai islands any more. Found some way nicer places in neighbouring Cambodia.

[monkeycountry]

"We will allow some lea-way of course"

This sentence makes the rest of the statement irrelevant.

[KevWaters]

I'll try again a question asked by a few, I see no response, is there anyone on Koh Tao or anyone been there recently that can report on the vibe there and the amount of tourists there?

According to a friend who visited a few days ago it was less crowded than this time last year but there are no bad vibes from the tourists. It's perhaps considered by them to be safer now the security has increased and the true culprits are arrested, right?

[somchaismith]

Talk about 'innocent until proven guilty', not!

[Lupatria]

it is getting more and more bizarre...

are they aware that ASEAN is comming?

Imagine whats gonna happen if they try this with Singaporeans...

[tx22cb]

"We will allow some lea-way of course"

This sentence makes the rest of the statement irrelevant.

The authorities always have an escape clause.

"Lea-way" = the usual weekly brown paper envelope.