Thread: Filipino workers in Thailand take risks to help families back home

WHILE Asean has liberated the free flow of skilled workers in the region and is considering human rights protection for migrants, Filipino workers have found themselves under threat of law enforcement in Thailand.

The Kingdom has used millions of legal and illegal migrant workers from the region. Under the Asean community, Bangkok welcomes skilled workers, while agreements with immediate neighbours, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, have seen millions of unskilled labourers allowed to work in Thailand.

But workers from the Philippines have different stories. On January 10 this year, Jean Marie Q Belmonte, 29, and Lilia Bercasio Mabansay, 45, were arrested by Thai immigration police on charges of working without labour permits and for overstaying.

Both Belmonte and Mabansay had been working in a restaurant owned by an Emirati national in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area.

They were told to pay Bt100,000 each for working without permission. The next day, their employer and a lawyer from the United Arab Emirates embassy arrived, but were unable to help the two Filipinas. On January 12, the two women were taken to court to hear the charges against them, and bail was set at Bt50,000 each.

Belmonte and Mabansay were taken to Bangkok Women’s Correctional Institution in Klong Prem Central Prison. Belmonte was able to post bail with the help of friends and released on January 17. She was supposed to go straight to the airport for deportation, but was unable to pay the airfare, so her passport was withheld by the authorities until March 30.

Mabansay spent the maximum 48 days in prison before being transferred to the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Suan Phlu. The Filipino community in Bangkok raised cash for her airfare and she was deported on March 28.

more Filipino workers in Thailand take risks to help families back home

Originally Posted by misskit

They were told to pay Bt100,000 each for working without permission.

How does this arbitrary fines thing work? Police being judge and jury. If it's out in the open, why is the NACC not onto it?

Originally Posted by misskit

working without labour permits and for overstaying.

Nothing in ASEAN agreements allows overstay or working without permit. These 2 folks got arrested for breaking the law. Same as you or I would get. No idea why this is news.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

How does this arbitrary fines thing work?

Not sure it's arbitrary. Was a max of 20k baht but last year new overstay rules put in place which included ban from entry to Thailand for at least a year. Maybe the max is now 100k baht.

Originally Posted by Norton

Not sure it's arbitrary. Was a max of 20k baht but last year new overstay rules put in place which included ban from entry to Thailand for at least a year. Maybe the max is now 100k baht.

It's certainly discretionary.

Hopefully a few teflers working minus WP will get the same treatment

The headline should be changed to foreigners who commit minor crimes in Thailand get treated worse than prisoners of war did during the second world war. What is wrong with this country? How can the people be so nice yet when a small crime is commited act so viciously and cruel. This is why I never go full Thai and put my trust in Thailand. How can you? Life is not valued as much in Los as it is by westerners. You've got to be cruel to be kind certainly fits in this country.

A few Filipinos were definitely taking risks by propositioning me on Tinder. I could be any madman yet they're offering to meet me after just 3-4 lines of generic polite chat

Originally Posted by Wilsonandson

Life is not valued as much in Los as it is by westerners.

So tell us what does your "western" country do with folks who reside and work illegally in the country?

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

A few Filipinos were definitely taking risks by propositioning me on Grindr. I could be any madman yet they're offering to meet me after just 3-4 lines of generic polite chat

FTFY.