BKK POST: February 2, 1998: Economi

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BKK POST: February 2, 1998: Economic slump forces alien workers to return to homelands 

              Journey home beset by corrupt officials


              Onnucha Hutasingh and Anucha Charoenpho

              Thailand's economic crisis has not only made about one million
              Thais unemployed but also sent a horde of foreign labour back
              home over the past six months. Until now, the Labour Ministry
              cannot figure out the number of laid-off foreign workers, mostly
              from the construction industry.

              Many Burmese workers have to go home and most of them
              choose to enter Burma through border checkpoints in Sangkhla
              Buri district of Kanchanaburi for safety reason. But they must
              face another problem - money extortion from Thai officials.

              "On their way from Bangkok to here, they must pay money (to
              officials at every checkpoint) and pay huge sums of money at
              checkpoints in Sai Yok and Sangkhla Buri districts as the passes
              are overseen by many agencies, a Mon villager in Sangkhla Buri
              said.

              Burmese workers who account for 75 percent of about one
              million foreign workers in Thailand have been going home for the
              past two months. The average number of Burmese labour facing
              extortion reaches 60-70 per day and most of them have to give
              tens of thousands baht or 304-608 grammes of their gold to Thai
              officials. 

              However, many Burmese workers are aware of the extortion
              and become more careful about their trips to Burma.

              According to some Mon villagers at Ban Wang Ka, Burmese
              workers turn to transfer their money via a bank in Sangkhla Buri
              district and rent vehicles to deliver their belongings to Sangkhla
              Buri while they take inter-provincial buses to border
              checkpoints. 

              To ensure safety for their money, many workers turn to use
              illegal money transaction services. Some job brokers demand
              2,500-3,000 baht from each worker for sending his/her cash
              from Bangkok to Burma via Sangkhla Buri but the money
              owners must later take money in Burmese currency after arriving
              in Burma.

              According to a source, many more Burmese workers turn to go
              home through a pass at Ban Nam Kerk, a Mon village located in
              a remote valley, instead of the Ban Halocknee and Three
              Pagoda checkpoints with many Thai and Burmese officials
              working there to avoid money extortion.

              "They usually deposit their belongings with some Mon villagers in
              Sangkhla Buri before going to Ban Nam Kerk and renting
              vehicles to take them and their belongings to Burma," the source
              said.

              "After entering Burma, they must pay taxes which mostly account
              for 50 percent of their belongings' value. For example, they must
              pay a 500-baht tax for a TV set worth 1,000 baht. But if officials
              are in a bad mood, the rate will be doubled or the stuffs may be
              seized," the source added.

              Meanwhile, an immigration police officer from Kanchanaburi
              accepted that officials from all concerned agencies in this western
              province had actually extorted money and valuables of foreign
              workers wanting to go home at every checkpoint.

              Ko Lane, a Burmese who had worked as a construction worker
              in Samut Sakhon for about one year, said he had some
              30,000-baht cash at the start of his trip to Burma but he had less
              than 5,000 baht left when arriving home due to extortion by
              Burmese and Thai police.




                                     




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Last Modified: Mon, Feb 2, 1998