Cambodian workers flee Thailand in thier thousands

[Spitfire]

There seems to be a glut of illegal migrant workers fleeing Thailand to Cambodia and Burma through fear of an expected crackdown by the new administration. Seems that border-crossing points like Poi Pet are swamped with thousands of people trying to go home asap. Naturally the rumours of a crackdown have been denied and many businesses have reported a huge lack of workers available in industries such as construction.......which is hardly surprising as many Thais no longer wish to do such jobs.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... -thousands

[Lung Per]

Not looking good for the rice farmers....

[Spitfire]

According to this article in the BBK Post this morning 110,000 have crossed in the last week.....that's a lot (over a quarter of those estimated to be here) and seems like it's becoming chaos there. They all sure seem spooked about what's 'going down' presently but seems it's also the employers that have sent them home fearing sanctions for using illegal migrant workers too.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/ ... ian-border

[PeteC]

It could start to cause chaos in Cambodia as well if the number continues to increase. Too many people with no jobs or income. Pete

[usual suspect]

Have just rode past H.H. Railway Stn. this aft & there were Police & Army guarding about 30 dark-skinned 20-30yr olds just outside the Stn building.
All were sat down, all had a rather 'defeated' look on their face, but I cannot say if these youths are indeed immigrants, or this was just a damn good round up of 'Bad lads'.
A train was in the station..maybe the youths were due to board it for the Pratchuap Monkey-House..?

[uncle tom]

I wonder how they define 'illegal immigrants' ?

There are many people living in the north east of Thailand who were born there, but are the descendants of people who fled Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Some do not hold Thai ID cards and are effectively stateless, despite being Thai by birth.

Are the Cambodian authorities checking the documents of the thousands crossing over? - I hope not..

[Big Boy]

Have just rode past H.H. Railway Stn. this aft & there were Police & Army guarding about 30 dark-skinned 20-30yr olds just outside the Stn building.
All were sat down, all had a rather 'defeated' look on their face, but I cannot say if these youths are indeed immigrants, or this was just a damn good round up of 'Bad lads'.
A train was in the station..maybe the youths were due to board it for the Pratchuap Monkey-House..?

Just found this photo on the net:

[PeteC]

^ They're not kids in that photo. Looks like a round up to me, similar to the groups I see regularly over here in the detainment yard at Rayong Immigration. Pete

[usual suspect]

Whoa!..there's me..sat in the middle!...
Hell B.B. I'm shocked you found a pic of this & within such short time..bit of a sleuth are we..??

[Nereus]

38 Cambodians nabbed in Hua Hin

http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/ ... in-hua-hin

[usual suspect]

Uncle Tom..you're asking about the welfare of the folk once they do indeed make it back onto 'home soil'...Well I have noticed they're all heading straight for official border crossing points..one would suspect if anything nasty was waiting for them on the 'other side' the queues would be formed 20-30kms away from the border officials.
I did read somewhere that once over into Cambodia..many of these folk just sat there..no money for transport & little/no money for food even..

[uncle tom]

you're asking about the welfare of the folk once they do indeed make it back onto 'home soil'

More concerned about folk who might feel obligated to head for Cambodia and then get refused entry because they are undocumented - people who may have done absolutely nothing wrong..

[Stargeezer]

My Thai family tell me that quite a few of these people were
not benefiting Thailand and were in fact using their own kids to beg
in some popular places, 2 or 3 adults to watch a single kid throughout the
day and evening. There were others who were being employed but were not
legal as their permits had expired, if they had permits to work at all.
Just like other countries, Thailand should be able to get workers for all the trades
in a better manner. I have been told that Cambodia is a poorer country than Thailand
so it is not a surprise that the situation has existed.

[PeteC]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 36412.html

[usual suspect]

News reports say 142,000 people have left Thailand to return to Cambodia & Myanmar for fear of persicution
...Then when all these folk have fled fearing the worst from a rumour about the junta's plans against them..
..the military big-wig has now realised this rumour & mass exodus of immigrant workers has left a big hole in Thailand's workforce...Plenty of lazy, idle Thai males in the Issan villages who genuinely think they are above the need to work while their wives/sisters/mothers graft away daily should be rounded up & made to work in the shrimp factories etc.

(One thing that eats into me when visiting my wife's village is to see the 'clever' young men sneering at me from their hammocks during the day while the rest of the household are out in the fields..TiT)