Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

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August 15, 2021
General HM orders 20 more trucks to Banteay Meanchey to cope with returning migrants
Royal Cambodian Army commander, Lieutenant General HM – who is in charge of security and public order at quarantine centres – has ordered the dispatch of an additional 20 army trucks to Banteay Meanchey province.

The trucks were dispatched there to cope with the huge number of migrant workers who have been crossing the Thai border into Banteay Meanchey at four different points.

Deputy Governor of Banteay Meanchey, Ngor Mengchroun, said that the trucks are urgently needed as more than 1000 people were crossing the border daily, adding that the trucks would be able to rapidly transport the returnees to the quarantine centres in order to free up congestion at the various holding and processing centres at the border.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50916196/g ... -migrants/
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Flashbacks of 2014 when at least 250,000 workers flooded back to Cambodia to escape the Thai junta's crackdown on undocumented workers. (i saw it close up on both sides of the border)
That was chaos enough, but at least it was semi organised on both sides - and, they were not carrying an infectious disease.
This looks bad.

i just don't believe Kh authorities have the capability and the diligence to close the hundreds of backdoors < black and grey.
And then stop them heading straight back to the poorest and most overcrowded communities that these immigrant workers usually come from.
(the ones that are rounded up will probably go straight into an overcrowded Covid incubation centre direct.)

No, this looks very bad.
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

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SternAAlbifrons wrote: Mon Aug 16, 2021 2:17 am Flashbacks of 2014 when at least 250,000 workers flooded back to Cambodia to escape the Thai junta's crackdown on undocumented workers. (i saw it close up on both sides of the border)
That was chaos enough, but at least it was semi organised on both sides - and, they were not carrying an infectious disease.
This looks bad.

i just don't believe Kh authorities have the capability and the diligence to close the hundreds of backdoors < black and grey.
And then stop them heading straight back to the poorest and most overcrowded communities that these immigrant workers usually come from.
(the ones that are rounded up will probably go straight into an overcrowded Covid incubation centre direct.)

No, this looks very bad.
So, from that time of 2014 what changes were made, and are still upheld today that gives the many immigrant workers legal status to work in Thailand? I am not just blaming the illegal workers, because it's pretty obvious many Thais are giving the illegals work. But, again this is bad for the workers initially having no rights whatsoever from the outset of leaving the safety of their own country. The Thai employer lacks any responsibility for care of the said undocumented workers, avoids taxes of that in his own country, he has no regard for his own government nor his own people, due to denying them fairly paid legal work.
Regards to opening the borders, I can't see many of the illegal workers using them, firstly because they are that of illegals, secondly, its worth the risk to them, and this will come across has a small risk after crossing beforehand illegally and then working in the foreign country, that risk is crossing back and evading the authorities of both sides to escape back to their own homes without detection and spending time in quarantine. Lets face the facts that they have already crossed to work in Thailand without detection of the authorities in the first place.
What is the answer to stop this type of illegal activity, could both governments and that of their officials come to an agreement together that would aid this day of a pandemic situation, thus help stop the spread of the covid19 virus, actually effecting that of potential millions of the both countries populations that are mainly innocent bystanders that are following their countries rules and laws.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Good pondering Andy. 'Hit the nub on the head of a few issues.

NB NB. I am definitely no expert on the migrant work scene overall. It is a huge and an extremely complex issue.
but i have lived on the border for long time.
One of my best Cambodian mates has always made his livelihood from running these people up to the "grey" border crossings where thousand cross every month as a matter of course.
(I have posted photos here of taking my wife up to the "illegal" crossing. Just the way she has always crossed over to see her friends and family working in Trat)
My wife's whole extended family and half her home town, has made seasonal work in Thailand a crucial part of their family's business model.
It works for them, mostly. They save and usually come back with a small stash.
(lol, our place is often the border stop for various family travelling thru. My wife supports them on way over :) and reaps the rewards on their way back)

But it does not work for a heck of a lot others. It is full of exploitation, often quite cruel.
They get less than Thailand's strict mandated minimum wages for workers, so it undermines both workforces.
There is little regulation, rights or safety. Taxes and dues are evaded all 'round.
blah blah blah.

ASEAN was supposed to fix a lot of this.
I think more regularisation, government sanctioned agreements, various official "schemes", union involvement, etc are all slowly improving the situation.

But patchy. The poor bloody rice farmer kids that are sent straight into the Thai fishing fleet torture mill worry me the most, personally.
I see them on their way over - so full of nervous excitement and expectation. Knowing what happens to more than a few.
Everybody in my wife's home town knows mothers still waiting for their boy to come home from the sea - until eternity.
(it actually breaks me up sometimes if i dwell on it.
don't ask me what i think of Thai fishing boat skippers - every one of them in my book, for a hundred other foul reasons as well)
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

Post by AndyKK »

Could not agree with you more about the Thai fishing fleet, I have heard and read the stories about the subject, life means nothing once out trawling the nets on those rough seas. Also the border towns, many families are intermingled on both sides, being that of Thai and Cambodian nationality. But that's not the basis of the problem because these people are actually related things are a little more controlled and easier. Not so for the people who will seek work from farther afield. Also you must ask why these people are illegal migrant workers. 2014 undocumented workers were in effect forced to go back to their countries and seek legal documents so they could return to work has legal workers in Thailand, this also gave workers benefits of some protection for themselves, such as working rights and hospital care.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Yeah Andy, my wife's family are your classic rice farming Khmer migrant workers (from nthn Kampot prov)
They go to Thailand for the $6 -10/day.
They used to be almost entirely undocumented because that was the only feasible/affordable way. But it left them very exposed to both exploitation and persecution.
i clearly remember around those times, 2014 and before, my wife's friends and family being virtually locked up inside their dorm accomodation when not on the job - out of fear of being caught on the street.

Biz, Cops, Gov all condoned the cheap labour of course - but the workers still got the kicking.

And yes, i agree too - regularised official legal avenues is the way to go.
That is definitely changing but there are probably still 100's of 1000's of undocumented Cambodian workers in Thailand. Going legal still costs money and requires a bit of knowledge and experience.

The Fam are mostly fully legal these days - and many get the legal 10 bucks a day.
Happier days - until the Pox hit.
That's the point i guess - migrant workers are still very exposed, papers or not.
They are always amongst the first to be hit every time a tsunami, rebellion, coup, crackdown, GFC, FX rate change, earthquake, pox outbreak or plague of locusts comes around.
And that kinda stuff happens regularly in Thailand.
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Oh yeah, one other big benefit, imo - along with generally raising my extended family out of dirt poor rural poverty and squalor
- regular work stints in Thailand have opened up their whole world.

Genuine, globe trotting, world-wise citizens of ASEAN they are these days.
How flocking good is that!!?? Instead of being pig ignorant rice farmers working their .67 hectare plot somewhere out there on the vast half-starved one-crop/year Cambodian plains.
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

Post by AndyKK »

It's good like you say, more so for the people who live near to the borders, and overtime I suppose have been split from their own family, I know a few myself in that position in Koh Kong. Also I have seen the other side in Thailand where my x's family had them working on the sugar plantations, but here the workers were not approachable, because they were high on drugs has they worked the harvest.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

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Cambodian Migrant Workers Receiving Assistance to Return Home
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Thailand: The General Consulate of the Kingdom of Cambodia to Sa Kaeo province of the Kingdom of Thailand in collaboration with the relevant Thai authorities (shown above) helped to facilitate the repatriation of Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand to return to their hometown via the international gate with Banteay Meanchey province on Aug. 18, 2021.
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Photos: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
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Re: Desperate Cambodian Workers Caught Crossing Thai Border Daily

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Thai and Cambodian authorities are working together now to repatriate Cambodian migrant workers from all over Thailand.

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The Consulate General of Cambodia in Sa Kaeo Province transported 264 Cambodian workers to Cambodia through O Bei Choan, handed over to the authorities and handled the health procedures
Posted By Pen Srey Neat
August 24, 2021
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The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on August 24, 2021 that in response to the number of Cambodian people wishing to return to Cambodia, the Cambodian Consulate General in Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand, has intervened to secure the assistance of the Thai authorities.
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Transport trucks were rented in order to transport a total of 264 Cambodians from different parts of Thailand to Cambodia through O Bei Choan border crossing, and the migrant workers were handed over to the Cambodian authorities to receive and handle medical procedures.
- CEN
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