Thailand - New work permit rules make for an uncertain May Day for migrant workers

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WORKING IN Thailand is becoming harder and more expensive for unskilled migrant workers from neighboring countries after the government imposed tougher policies addressing illegal |immigration.

Residing in the Kingdom for more than 12 years, 28-year-old Ei Dhan Dar from Myamar has already adapted to Thai society and can speak the language |fluently.

But despite her integration into society, she said she felt increasingly uncertain about her future in Thailand, since tough new regulations to register for work permits were issued, which entail a difficult and expensive process.

“Recently, I had to spend nearly Bt10,000 for the work permit registration fee and other related costs just to make my status legal, but I only earn Bt300 salary per day. It’s like we work hard to pay Thai bureaucrats and we are getting poorer in Thailand,” she said.

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“As I’ve lived in this country for a long time, I now feel that I have a bond with Thailand and I always hope that one day I can live comfortably in this country, but now I am not sure about this dream.”

Ei Dhan Dar is just one among hundreds of thousand migrant workers who have struggled to legalise their work status.

Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation coordinator Surachai Mintun said his organisation had received many calls for help from migrant workers across the country, who had problems with the recent migrant worker registration, including some who were facing deportation.

“There are so many workers having problems with the registration because the regulation is unclear, specifies too short a period to register for a work permit, and lacks information for applicants,” Surachai said.

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According to the rule implemented this year, migrant workers who hold temporary pink identification cards have to register certificates of identity to get a passport and Thai visa, and then they have to register for a work permit within 15 days. If they fail to register within that period, their status will be illegal and they will be |subject to deportation.

The government cancelled its recognition of the temporary pink identification cards for migrant workers nationwide on March 31, requiring migrant workers to hold valid visas and work permits. There were an estimated 1.3 million migrant workers holding the temporary pink identification cards.

As a result of the rule, Surachai said migrant workers faced two major issues. First, many workers were unable to register for the work permit in time for various reasons, so even if they were |legally registered with authorities and holding a Thai visa, they |suddenly risked arrest and faced deportation.

The second problem is the cost of registration. Although the official cost was only Bt910, Surachai said, many workers had to employ an agent because the entire process was complicated and slow, which could cost as much as Bt10,000.

“It is very hard for workers to register by themselves because many of them cannot communicate in Thai and have limited knowledge about the bureaucratic procedures, so registering through an agent is the easiest way, but there is an extra financial burden,” he said.

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The tough new regulations are justified as an effort to tackle human trafficking and illegal migrant workers by the Labour Ministry.

Labour Ministry deputy permanent secretary Varanon Peetiwan has said the government wants to control the entire migrant labour system, meaning that all migrant workers should be brought to Thailand under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) system only.

Sakultara Bhupornwiwat, owner of a Samut Songkram squid processing factory, said she would like the government to reconsider the policy, because the MOU system was unreliable and unsuitable in practice.

“If I want to import workers via the MOU system, I have to pay a large amount of money first before the agent will recruit workers for me and there is no guarantee that I’ll get the workers. The business cannot rely on that,” Sakultara said.

“Moreover, the workers in the MOU system have to pay more than Bt10,000 in their home countries just to apply to work in Thailand. They cannot afford such an expensive fee. If they could pay that amount of money, why would they want to work in unskilled jobs in Thailand in the first place?”

She said that if the situation remained unchanged under the new policy, there would be a serious shortage of workers in the near future, which would harm not only her business but the country’s economy as a whole.

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Source - TheNation

Staffing Request

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A big business development group offer me to set-up in Bangkok a (international) Staffing Network.
Yes, a great challenge and opportunity.
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But this is very difficult in Bangkok / Thailand
The most to employ people can not write their own name in a common language.
The education level in Thailand is very low, the most to prefer playing games and be lazy.

I ask before started, to search first in the surrounding countries, like Myanmar / Cambodia / Vietnam. These countries speak and write better in a common language. 

But the want started from Bangkok. 

I must good thinking before I take the challenge.

Bali regency of Klungkung launches app for #tourists

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To commemorate the 109^th anniversary of Puputan Klungkung, Klungkung regency in Bali has launched a smartphone app for tourists.

The Android-based app, called Klungkung Tourism, features information on tourist destinations, accommodation, places to eat and public services that may help tourists during their trip.

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 On the homepage of the app, users find some listicles on places to go, as well as category options like Beach & Nature, Art & Culture, Temple, Museum and Event & Festival; each accompanied by photos and details about the place and GPS navigation. “Tourists can comment on and give likes to destinations featured on the app, which we will evaluate later,” said Klungkung Regent I Nyoman Suwirta.
The app also acts as a platform for locals to market their businesses, “The local people can use it to promote their businesses, whether they are related to the tourism industry or micro, small and medium enterprises located in Klungkung,” added Suwirta.

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Source - TheJakartapost

 

Hungry elephants in Sumatra destroy local plantations

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Locals have called on authorities to take action to drive away three wild elephants, which came close to residential areas in Bengkalis regency, Riau province and destroyed palm and crop plantations.

The herd of the endangered animal had visited Jl. Rangau, Pematang Pudu subdistrict, Mandau district, in the past two weeks, but it was only in the past week that they began eating the local’s plantations, local Nimrot Sinaga said.

“They also destroyed an 8-hectare 3-year old palm plantation, which belongs to my parents,” he said on Friday.

The elephants usually came at night, he said, adding that he and the other residents tried to drive the elephants away using firecrackers. However, the elephants remained circling the area as other residents also tried to cast them away from the opposite direction.

He predicted that the three elephants are one family as they comprised of two adults and one calf around five years old.

“We expect the Riau Natural Resource Conservation Agency [BKSDA] will soon deploy a tamed elephant to lead the wild elephants away from the plantations and residences,” he said.

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 Tamed elephants are usually used to mitigate conflict between wild elephants and humans.

Nimrot said if authorities did not take swift action, he feared the local people would not be able to contain their anger as their palm plantations were eaten by the elephants. He said the elephants ate the palm shoots, which will kill the trees.

Besides palms, the elephants also ate other crops including sweet potatoes, beans and many other kinds of vegetables.

“If they keep causing restlessness among locals, I fear for their safety. They are protected animals, but their lives could be at risk,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mandau district head Djoko Edy Imhar said he had contacted Riau BKSDA to report the incident.

“BKSDA must lead the wild elephants away from local residences and plantations to prevent any possible conflicts,” he said.

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Agency official R. Hutajulu said his office had assigned a team to monitor the wild elephant’s movements. It was detected that they were around the Jambon public cemetery and the team would try to lead them to Talang Forest at night.

From this monitoring, it was known that the herds’ movements were slow as one of the adult elephants could not walk properly. The elephant’s leg was wounded from a trap, which struck it some time ago. The agency’s team had treated the wound, but he said the healing process might take a while as the wound was on the elephant’s foot.

Hutajulu urged people not to get panicky if the three wild elephants passed their yards while they were herded to the Talang Forest.

“People must remain calm as Riau BKSDA is following their movements. It is better for people to stay at a safe distance so the elephants do not feel threatened and chase people instead,” he said.

The rampant conversion of forests into plantations has increased the rate of human-elephant conflicts in the country. Data from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia in 2015 showed that Indonesia had the highest number of human-elephant conflicts in Asia.

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 Source - TheJakartaPost

 

Tonne of trash collected in clean-up at Hei Island in #Phuket

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About a tonne of trash was collected during a beach clean-up at Hei Island (Coral Island) in Phuket yesterday.

More than a 100 people, including students from Prince of Songkla University’s Phuket campus, volunteer divers, local vendors and operators, and company workers participated in the morning initiative.

The move involved collecting trash both on the beach and underwater. Among the items collected were fishing nets, glass bottles and rubber tyres.

“We are doing business on Hei island, so this effort is our way of saying ‘thank you’. Cleaning up the island will not only help preserve marine life, but also play a big part in improving tourism,” said Suriya Thamchu, chairman of Nonthasak Marine Co Ltd, which organised the clean-up.

 “We received positive feedback so we plan to do this again in the near future,” he said.

Source - TheNation 

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“We received positive feedback so we plan to do this again in the near future,” he said. 

#Thailand - Trang’s inland treasures

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Beyond the beaches, the old walled town teems with historical and cultural charms

WHILE MOST of the travelers arriving in Trang quickly find a perch on the beach or head straight to the boats to go diving in the Andaman Sea, the tranquil town itself offers all sorts of landlubber delights.

Trang was a thriving trading hub in the days when it was known as Muang Thub Thieng, a port established by Chinese merchants. 

In the days of the Sumatra-based Melayu Kingdom between 600 and 1200 AD, vessels docked there laden with kerosene for lamps and ingredients for making pastry. When they departed, they were filled with locally grown pepper.

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 In 1899 the area became the first place where rubber was planted in Siam. A man called Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi brought the saplings from Malaya and built up an export business.

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On my first visit to Trang I’m impressed with the diversity of culture, with Western-style churches sitting alongside Chinese shrines, Thai temples and Muslim mosques, as if to demonstrate the benefits of living in harmony. 

My host is tourism promoter Ko Daeng, who with his friends arranges day-trips around town for visitors, charging Bt250 per hour or Bt650 for a four-hour tour. You get to see the sights in a frog-nosed tuk-tuk imported from Japan. 

“Some of our vehicles were built 100 years ago,” Ko Daeng says. “We modify the engines so they can carry people. It’s a way to conserve our heritage – these kinds of vehicles were popular here in the past, so we thought it would be a good way to promote tourism, using tuk-tuks.”

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 Ko Daeng ’s operation has a list of 17 destinations to choose among, and I pointed to the Tam Kong Yia Shrine.

Erected more than a century ago, the temple attracts worshipers seeking success and good health. In its foundation are sacred ashes and a cloth talisman that the founder brought with him from the Nine Dragons Temple in Huizhou, China, to protect him on the voyage to Siam. 

The structure has some amazing craftsmanship that was carefully preserved during a 1953 renovation. Sunlight pours in through the open roof to illuminate statues of goddesses, lending the place a mystical atmosphere.

A few minutes’ drive away is Wat Kaphang Surin, designated a National Ancient Monument in 1999. Constructed in 1897 as Wat Kaphang, it was renamed in honour of esteemed local developer Phraya Surin Racha. 

The original wood-and-cement ubosot reflects traditional southern architecture. Inside is a series of 100-year-old wood or metal figures depicting the Lord Buddha in different poses. 

Sections of the ancient wall surrounding the old town have recently been decorated with three-dimensional paintings. There are scenes of the local life, rubber plantations and the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook, every one a magnet for selfie shooters. 

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At the Tha Klang intersection nearby, a string of old two-storey buildings are painted in pastel colours. At least there was some charm to the Portuguese colonial era, when the architecture became a hybrid of Chinese and European design and bright hues were the norm on exteriors.

But most of these buildings date to 1913, originally the homes of wealthy Chinese merchants. They also have in common narrow entrances, roofs open over a central courtyard and a shared arcade out front that offers passers-by shade and shelter. The houses at the corners of the block feature curving edges and diamond-shaped tiles on the roof.

Along Rama VI and Ratchadam- noen Roads is a shopping district that includes the town’s oldest hotel, the Jing Jing, recognised by the Associ- ation of Siamese Architects last year for its “valuable architecture”. 

There’s also the celebrated Chinese pharmacy Yin Jiee Thong, home – along with its ancient medicines – to the original Trang grilled pork, made with local spices and herbs. Classic shophouses along the avenue are stocked with furniture, bicycles, apparel, cosmetics and much more.

Also striving to conserve local culture, a group called Trang Positive has the support of the Tourism Authority in hosting the annual “Yan Kao Ngao A-deed”. It comprises an art exhibition, student-orchestra performances and lively talks about, for example, the local cuisine. Visitors can learn how to make Tae Chew-style mee tiew, stewed chicken in red sauce and mor lao (deep-fried dumplings). 

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 The splendid natural scenes outside town are perhaps best at Baan Khao Lak in Namphud district, where you can paddle a canoe along a canal. The community has set itself up as a model of sufficiency living and nature conservation.

Once finished their farm chores, the residents take visitors on four-kilometre canoe “cruises” amid cool forests and limestone bluffs sculpted by wind and water into interesting shapes. Back in the village you can learn how to make local desserts or a wicker souvenir. 

“I started the project three years ago to help people earn extra income,” village head Sawat Khunnui tells us. “We take people trekking in a watershed forest or canoeing, and there will be also a home-stay programme. It’s all about conserving the environment. We set up a ‘waste bank’, too, and donate recycled material to a school.” 

Another great place to visit is Baan Na Por, which has a factory full of skilled cutlers making knives, hoes and even swords from the leaf springs of old buses. Prawet Chitjan, 58, a fifth-generation member of a family of cutlers, runs the operation. Long ago he left home to get a city job, but in 1987 decided to return and do his part to salvage the local wisdom. 

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  Artisans at Baan Na Por make knives that are in professional demand around the country. 

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The factory produces the 55-brand and Three Star knives popular with rubber tappers and farmers in the South and Northeast. The prices range from Bt160 to Bt650. 

“We use crafting techniques that have been passed on from generation to generation for more than 100 years,” Uncle Prawet says. “We believe that two villagers – Nai Petch and Nai Kong – discovered one technique whereby ship spikes were turned into garden tools, and then the quality is enhanced through different designs and materials.

“Next, I’m building a museum to exhibit all the old types of agricultural tools and house a mock-up cutlery factory.”

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Source - TheNation

 

 

 

Khao Lak - Bucolic adventure

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Khao Lak Canal flows slowly from a mountain to the village of Ban Khao Lak in Trang's Muang district. Both sides of the stream are green forest. The canal later merges with another canal called Lam Phu Ra which ends at the Trang River. 

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 "We have to protect our forest so there will be water for our consumption all year round," said village headman Sawat Khunnui. The water originating from the Khao Lak Waterfall has never run dry. It's always clear and cold. This inspired the village headman to open a little adventure service to promote the community. 

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 His idea was to introduce a canoeing service along Khao Lak and Lam Phu Ra canals. The distance is about 4.5km. 

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About half of the villagers agreed with the idea while the rest held out. They were
afraid that their peaceful community would be changed while others were concerned that the small village couldn't attract any tourists. But the village head remained confident. He saw the successful model.

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Three years ago, he brought a team of his village committee to try canoeing along Lam Lon Canal in Satun. "After the trip, we agreed to give it a try. I was confident that our service would be able to attract tourists because our village has beautiful nature," he said. 

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 The village committee also had an agreement with its villagers that there would be only one canoeing operator and it must be owned by the community, not any private investor, said Sawat. 

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They didn't have any money when they started the service three years ago. They borrowed 15 canoes from Wang Sai Thong Homestay in Satun without any fee for six months. When the contract ended, they had enough money to buy their own canoes. They started with eight. Today Ban Khao Lak has 40 canoes to service visitors. 

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 "It's the word of mouth that bring tourists to our village," he said, adding that today Ban Khao Lak welcomes at least three groups of visitors a day, he said. 

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