Over 400,000 Thais 'enslaved'

[bina]

actually, thais working thru manpower placement companies are 'slaves' as many many dont get their wages, are not permitted to leave the premises of living quarters, and have basically no rights. they also cannot just leave as their passports are taken (not legal) and /or out in the middle of nowhere picking strawberries/pineapples/apples/grapes/catching chickens/turkeys in coops... and dont ahve anyway to go anywhere. there are several manpower groups that ahve lawsuits pending .. the companies changed their names, and keep doing what they do

in israel, it used to be a bit of a problem but being a small country, and word of mouth gets around fast, the thai consulate is proactive here and the majority of 'wages beign withheld' and passports being taken has been reduced dramatically, also the acitives of 'kav l'oved' (labour org) have increased worker awareness and employer compliance.(traficking from the baltic countries is an other story)

dubai and other countries in the arab world have thais, mostly women, as slave labour and they are not able to leave. russia has agian.mostly women, being held in the same way not just sexual slavery but as housekeepers, etc. it would seem that many people here dont actually know what they are talking about.

in addition, there are children in thailand still being 'bought and sold' not just as sex workers but as factory workers, locked in at night and they are invisible during the day, receiving little or no wage (payment if at all to a parent), and no way to leave.

again, they are invisible. there are organizations that help, and from one or two that ive seen, they dont pump up the numbers, they are realistic...

obviously a two way street: country thais are still gullible and believe manpower companies promising tons of $$ and good conditions but upon arrival the conditions are not what any of you would tolerate to work in or live in w/o major money wages, and they dont get them.

i personally knew of one family that worked for a rich woman in a large thai city in issaan , the children didnt go to school, they worked from dawn to dusk in the house and around the house and received a pittance, and basically were like sharecroppers. they got a shack and a small piece of land at that was their salary plus some spending money. yes, htey were thai, not burmese or cambodian. while they may have had a choice to leave, i think they may have borrowed money and therefore this was a way to keep them there, and of course, they always had to borrow money as they received no real wage... indentrured servants or something along those lines.

people from the west think it is so easy to just get up and leave, but for most poor people, if theyhave families, and feel powerless, they wont leave as they have no where to go, nor do they have the energy to fight for their minimal rights.

[Loptr]

A recent survey into modern slavery? What, did they get those people holding slaves to admit it and to complete the survey? What a bunch of hogwash...

[Loptr]

how many more don't realize they are slaves ?

That's an easy one... The answer is anyone that is in debt to the western banking system...

[Anthony5]

Impossible.

This is the Land of the Free.

As in the poor

Free Speech

Free Media

Free to Criticize

And indeed for the rich

Free to Commit Murder

Free to Commit Fraud

Free to Silence Criticism

Free to Destroy Competitors

Free to Extort

No slaves here.

Please let me correct that for you

As in the poor

Free Speech

Free Media

Free to Criticize

Edited November 18, 2014 by Anthony5

[kuifje]

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how many more don't realize they are slaves ?

That's an easy one... The answer is anyone that is in debt to the western banking system...

Well if you look it this way. then it the whole world are slaves to someone/something.

Slave to debt to loan sharks. Slave to paying extreme taxes in most Western countries. Slave to the other partner. Slave to your work. Slave to food. For wealthy people, slave to how to spend the money and complain about all the people working for them for slave wages.

Come on posters. For sure some people in the world are slaves, but not as it is descripted in this article.

Slave, means no freedom to speak, move, walk away from a situation and have to work for no money. And then the numbers are much smaller.

All other situations can not be descripted as 'slave' situations.

[Chris Lawrence]

I wonder what survey the 475,300 took to identify as being enslaved.

Wow Brunei has over 253,000 people enslaved in such a small country. But who could upset such a major oil producer that has just aligned themselves to Sharia law?

The article probably wouldn't have appeared if the Thais didn't get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. So they have about 253,822 enslaved on home soil (0.709% of 35.8 million) whilst 475,300 Thais worldwide are enslaved.

I feel sorry for the 35.8 million.

You can't expose the barst@ds in Thailand as they will sue for deformation and slander their good names?

[Doc46]

When I met my Thai wife 9 years ago she was working in a farang owned restaurant, 3,000 baht and 2 days off per month. That is pretty damn close to slavery as far as I'm concerned.

Most guys I know who own restaurants get one day off a year and after expenses and family costs would be lucky to make 3000 baht a month. But one day a year off is one more day than a dairy farmer.

There is a lot of difference in making 3000 Baht per month BEFORE expenses than having 3000Baht left AFTER all expenses his turn over earnings could be 300,000 Baht per month,Please don't talk crap

[simple1]

Some more background on the founder (Australian mining billionaire from resources sector) and the Global Freedom Network.

The Global Freedom Network has been inaugurated at the Vatican, and brings together the Catholic, Anglican and Sunni Muslim faiths in a combined effort to stop modern slavery.

Mr Forrest announced a plan he said would free 2.5 million people from slavery in Pakistan.

Mr Forrest has signed a deal with the Pakistani state of Punjab that will give it access to Australian technology that can convert lignite coal into diesel. He says Pakistan in return has agreed to bring in laws to tackle the problem of slavery or bonded labour.

He also helped to launch the Global Slavery Index, alongside Mr Blair and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, which found that 29 million people were living in conditions of modern slavery around the world.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-18/forrest-launches-organisation-in-bid-to-end-slavery/5327192

[BKKdreaming]

when you are the Agency making up what is "slavery" then you can come up with all kinds of interesting numbers,

There was a report here today that 400,000 kids were"homeless" in California,

Great headline grabber until the start taking what is "homeless" and they count 2 families living in the same house as homeless !

Yes it is a BIG problem , but never believe the numbers when the Agency that it handing them out has a bias, and gets more donations when numbers are higher !

Same goes with Government numbers that are made up to make you feel "Happy"

[Johnnie99]

When I met my Thai wife 9 years ago she was working in a farang owned restaurant, 3,000 baht and 2 days off per month. That is pretty damn close to slavery as far as I'm concerned.

What an utterly ridiculous thing to write.

Rarely have I seen a comment on here which so misunderstands the problem of slavery.

And that's saying something.

[Strangebrew]

Well those figures are surely wrong there are over that many hookers in Bangkok alone. Now add the resort areas and it gets Higher. They trick these young girls in ISSAN to come to big city for job then hook them on drugs, have then work off debt in some seedy bar owned by a cop. Yeah I know your scam and Know which places do it. I would use ladies from there but not hard to tell which places enslave the help. next

[HaleySabai]

how many more don't realize they are slaves ?

..... the one form of slavery we seldom ever question...being a 'Brain-Slave'.........more,more,more.....

which could co-relate to finding one in a state of permanent 'debt-slavery'.....in North America the credit card companies are constantly throwing money at your feet hoping you will pick it up and make a mad dash to buy that iPod or new 60" Sony or Harley Davidson or F-150 Ford truck (fully loaded)....or,or..... once you exceed your 'liveable means' then 'they' got you where you are needed -working for 'Them' paying high interest rates.

You will be force to live on a budget of rice and ketchup for a lot longer than most are willing to endure in order to get out of this "prison".

It is oh so easy to take the bait! and almost unavoidable now in present-day society, for the multitudes who are not wealthy enough to 'live within their wants' they are exploited by the ranks of the roaming and voracious multi-nationals.

At least in Thailand there is more 'cash' than 'plastic'.....

[Somtamnication]

The article is a whitewash. More than that are Burmese enslaved by Thais.

[thailiketoo]

When I met my Thai wife 9 years ago she was working in a farang owned restaurant, 3,000 baht and 2 days off per month. That is pretty damn close to slavery as far as I'm concerned.

Most guys I know who own restaurants get one day off a year and after expenses and family costs would be lucky to make 3000 baht a month. But one day a year off is one more day than a dairy farmer.

There is a lot of difference in making 3000 Baht per month BEFORE expenses than having 3000Baht left AFTER all expenses his turn over earnings could be 300,000 Baht per month,Please don't talk crap

I was making the point that you seem to have missed; that slavery is not working long hard hours for little pay. You may think that slavery is working long hours for little pay but that is not slavery. Please don't talk crap.

[maidee]

and that is why thai people like to "hire" myanmar people & others, so they can pay them slave wagers

and make them feel as the proud owner

[thailiketoo]

and that is why thai people like to "hire" myanmar people & others, so they can pay them slave wagers

and make them feel as the proud owner

People from Dubai and Abu Dhabi hire people from the UK for the same reason and feel the same way.

Edited November 19, 2014 by thailiketoo

[ramrod711]

When I met my Thai wife 9 years ago she was working in a farang owned restaurant, 3,000 baht and 2 days off per month. That is pretty damn close to slavery as far as I'm concerned.

What an utterly ridiculous thing to write.

Rarely have I seen a comment on here which so misunderstands the problem of slavery.

And that's saying something.

You are entitled to your opinion. At the time, the US dollar was worth about 40 baht, 3,000 baht = $75, 30 day month = 28 working days at 10 hours per day = 280 hours, $75 divided by 280 hours equals 26.7 cents per hour. Any employer should be proud to pay such a wage.

[ramrod711]

When I met my Thai wife 9 years ago she was working in a farang owned restaurant, 3,000 baht and 2 days off per month. That is pretty damn close to slavery as far as I'm concerned.

At that time is was a normal salary in bars, etc. The salary the boss gave is for doing nothing, just hang around and wait for customers. They get the extra's from drinks, tips and especially the 'oppurtunity' to go with foreigners and have money for that.

She went there to work out of her own free will !? So nothing to do with slavery.

My wife didn't "hang around", She arrived at work at 08:00, opened the place, mopped the floors, she cleaned the toilets and cooked breakfasts for customers that arrived before the cook started work. She ordered supplies for the evening shift and she didn't go on dates with multiple foreigners for money. Get your mind out of the gutter.

[thailiketoo]

When I met my Thai wife 9 years ago she was working in a farang owned restaurant, 3,000 baht and 2 days off per month. That is pretty damn close to slavery as far as I'm concerned.

What an utterly ridiculous thing to write.

Rarely have I seen a comment on here which so misunderstands the problem of slavery.

And that's saying something.

You are entitled to your opinion. At the time, the US dollar was worth about 40 baht, 3,000 baht = $75, 30 day month = 28 working days at 10 hours per day = 280 hours, $75 divided by 280 hours equals 26.7 cents per hour. Any employer should be proud to pay such a wage.

It is all relative. I am sure a rich person living in luxury in the Middle East would think you earn a pittance for doing whatever it is you do. Lauren Bacall's 3 bedroom apartment just went on the market for 26 million USD.