Two boat slaves survive three days in ocean
By Coconuts Bangkok

PATTANI: -- Two Thai men were rescued by a fishing boat four kilometers offshore from Pattani on Sunday after they jumped off a slavery boat and survived three days in the ocean.

Nine months after being held hostage and forced to work 21 hours a day, Duangklao Tongkratok, 24, and Ubon Lasa-ard, 39, said desperation drove them to try their luck by jumping from slavery vessel Wiwatchai 19 in the middle of the ocean, hoping they would make it to shore.

The two exhausted men, who were still frightened, were brought to the Donsai sub-district chief yesterday as locals fed them and helped calm them down. They described the experience as “more torturing than hell.”

Duangklao and Tongkratok said they were tricked into working on a fishing boat in January, at which point they were severely beaten by two boat operators who threatened them with a gun.

The men added they lived with six other workers. Every 15 days, the boat returns to the shore to sell the fish while the slaves are transferred to another slavery boat.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/11/03/two-boat-slaves-survive-three-days-ocean


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-11-03

Amazing Thailand

Hard to imagine this is still happening in the 21st Century.

Shanghai'd.

It's all looking good for Thailand's ongoing human rights record.

I am surprised Prayuth hasn't piped up with a media coverage ban ... Give it time though.

Anyway, 3 days and only 4 KMs away from shore?

What were they doing for 3 days?... playing 'I Spy'? I spy with my little eye, something beginning with sea.

Is it even possible to tread water for 3 days solid?

I smell something fishy.

Edited November 3, 201411 yr by RustBucket

As the thais would say.....all this never happen, thais woukd never do this, authorities have said before no such thing as slavery.

I hope to God the owner of this fishing vessel isn't "influential" and above the law like some recent high profile cases.

Was it just last week, that Thailand sent a delegation to the EU the ensure that everything was kosher within the Thai fishing-industry??

Another Thai lie!! Surprised?? Not really!!

That's impossible.

There is no slavery in the Thai fishing industry.

The Authorities told me so.

I can see a deformation case coming against these boat slave chappies

No one can ever put a stop to this, what a shame

I hope this story won't end here. This really has to be stopped.

Also i don't understand how they keep the fish fresh for 15 days on a boat like that.

Unless we have a set up here, every picture tells a story, if true , Thailand wanted a seat on the UN human rights council, Christ.

It's all looking good for Thailand's ongoing human rights record.

I am surprised Prayuth hasn't piped up with a media coverage ban ... Give it time though.

Anyway, 3 days and only 4 KMs away from shore?

What were they doing for 3 days?... playing 'I Spy'? I spy with my little eye, something beginning with sea.

Is it even possible to tread water for 3 days solid?

I smell something fishy.

Don't be so unfair... at least they made it. Half these guys can't swim.

Treading water is easy, floating on one's back is easy and effortless, assuming your not in the Hebrides, which they weren't.

I give them a full positive, and hope they are treated positively too (which I very much doubt), in identifying the perpretrators of such SLAVERY!

I can see a deformation case coming against these boat slave chappies

It is the owners of the fishing vessels and the masters in charge who need to be deformed for their foul deeds.

Can you imagine what life must have been like on the boat,

for them to jump over board,desperate indeed ,I thought the

Authorities did a check not so long ago and could not find

any slaves,they all must have been out to sea at the time!

regards Worgeordie

I don't remember the link but there was a Youtube video from a documentary about the Thai slave fisheries where they interviewed a captain and asked if he was worried about being caught by the police. He simply replied, "no, I am a policeman".

" Every 15 days, the boat returns to the shore to sell the fish while the slaves are transferred to another slavery boat. "

And TAT hasn't capitalized on this yet? I can see their new promotion: "Feel like you are being taken advantage of by your employer? Feel like you're on the bottom of the heap. Then...Run you own slave ship for 15 days. Feel what it's like to be the the boss. Come to Thailand and see why we are the Land of Smiles".

I know some things about fishery industry in Thailand , but can't tell here , I have wife and kids , they are more important .

Let me guess, the captain is Burmese...?

Hard to imagine this is still happening in the 21st Century.

Shanghai'd.

Not at all hard to imagine my friend. Pick up almost any newspaper in the world and read the world's news.

Cheers, LD

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Hard to imagine this is still happening in the 21st Century.

Shanghai'd.

Well to look at the big picture, I see this as another example of the extremely monumental failure of the whole purpose of the UN.

Same as stateless people, after 100 years of existence of the UN still hundreds of millions of people in this world are stateless, in fact no progress

at all has been made on this matter.

Well there are in fact a lot of Pirates around Thai Seas, more than you would think.
Thailand might blame stories like these on Burmese pirates but we all know what the real truth is there.

meanwhile you can read te$co lotu$ view on $lavery here:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/20/tesco-boycotting-thai-fishmeal-farmers

meanwhile you can read te$co lotu$ view on $lavery here:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/20/tesco-boycotting-thai-fishmeal-farmers

Ofcourse it has nothing to do with, that they are trying to sell their SE-Asia operation to a Thai buyer??

CP was mentioned and so was Thai Bev.

As usual money talks and BS walks..................

Welcome to the 'Land of Smiles'. NOT !

This is a side tourist do not see.....if only tourists were aware of the - People smuggling managed by Thai's, the slavery managed by Thai's, the killing of animals for tusks, hide etc....managed by Thai's, the Foreign Passport thefts & re-sell managed by Thai's, the money laundering with no questions asked at Banks run by Thai's - people would not call this the Land of Smiles.

Its a bloody disgrace & makes me ashamed to be Thai. We seem so behind the rest of Asia - like Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea.....how do we ever fit into the AEC or any group of civilized people. Are we going to remain a backward third world country for all my life??

Welcome to the 'Land of Smiles'. NOT !

This is a side tourist do not see.....if only tourists were aware of the - People smuggling managed by Thai's, the slavery managed by Thai's, the killing of animals for tusks, hide etc....managed by Thai's, the Foreign Passport thefts & re-sell managed by Thai's, the money laundering with no questions asked at Banks run by Thai's - people would not call this the Land of Smiles.

Its a bloody disgrace & makes me ashamed to be Thai. We seem so behind the rest of Asia - like Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea.....how do we ever fit into the AEC or any group of civilized people. Are we going to remain a backward third world country for all my life??

It's all managed by Thai's because it's Thailand.

Most countries have these crimes.

In Britain these crimes are generally managed by British criminals. The UK has a slavery problem too believe it or not, thousands of women trafficked into prostitution, mostly from Eastern Europe as well as parts of Asia.

Don't be ashamed to be "Thai". You're really just another human being like I'm another human being, nationality means very little.

Welcome to the 'Land of Smiles'. NOT !

This is a side tourist do not see.....if only tourists were aware of the - People smuggling managed by Thai's, the slavery managed by Thai's, the killing of animals for tusks, hide etc....managed by Thai's, the Foreign Passport thefts & re-sell managed by Thai's, the money laundering with no questions asked at Banks run by Thai's - people would not call this the Land of Smiles.

Its a bloody disgrace & makes me ashamed to be Thai. We seem so behind the rest of Asia - like Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea.....how do we ever fit into the AEC or any group of civilized people. Are we going to remain a backward third world country for all my life??

It's all managed by Thai's because it's Thailand.

Most countries have these crimes.

In Britain these crimes are generally managed by British criminals. The UK has a slavery problem too believe it or not, thousands of women trafficked into prostitution, mostly from Eastern Europe as well as parts of Asia.

Don't be ashamed to be "Thai". You're really just another human being like I'm another human being, nationality means very little.

There are many people in the UK illegally been forced into all sorts of things, no one seems to care about people anymore. But the UK is the last country in the world to lecture anyone about anything especially true representation of the people (democracy) as the current voting system only allows one of two parties to win. You can vote for who you want but you won't get what you want.

Unless we have a set up here, every picture tells a story, if true , Thailand wanted a seat on the UN human rights council, Christ.

Hey they have a Thai Human Rights Commission.

Wolves in sheep's clothing....I wonder if they are getting involved in this case?

Yea right

Unless we have a set up here, every picture tells a story, if true , Thailand wanted a seat on the UN human rights council, Christ.

Hey they have a Thai Human Rights Commission.

Wolves in sheep's clothing....I wonder if they are getting involved in this case?

Hunman rights activists get 'disappeared' in Thailand.