The Labour Minister instructed labour ambassadors in 2 countries to coordinate with employers who employed Thai workers to work in Iraq and Iran, to survey the need for support, look after their safety closely and prepare to facilitate the evacuation plan to send Thai workers back if the situation worsens.
On January 8, 2020, Labour Minister M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul spoke about the progress from the tense relationship between the United States and Iran and Iraq, which caused the death of General Qassim Suleiman, commander of the Iranian Quds army. Most recently, the Ministry of Labour has instructed Minister Counselors (on labour) from the Labour Office in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), the area responsible for Thai workers in Iraq, and the Minister Counselor (on labour) at the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, responsible for Thai workers in Iran, to visit Thai workers and coordinate with employers who employed Thai workers to be informed about the situation. The Minister Counselors were instructed to survey information about the needs of the workers and collect workplace data, official contact channels for emergencies, and to prepare to facilitate Thai workers and people in migration if the conflict situation intensifies.
The Minister Counselor (on labour) at the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, Ms. Sophit Mhudpongtua, responsible for the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Iran, have coordinated with company manager who employs Thai workers in the sea fishery business, at Bandar Abbas, Iran. The parties met about the Ministry of Labour and the Thai government’s concerns for Thai workers in Iran, as the said incident resulted in the movement of Iran to take countermeasures on the United States. The Minister-Counselor was informed by Daraya Car Sulu Co., Ltd., by Mr. Merda Asra, an executive of a fishing boat company in Iran, that he was aware and concerned about the situation between Iran and the United States. He said that he would meet with the Thai embassy staff in Tehran about the case and deportation of Thai workers if there is a severe incident that requires further evacuation of workers.
In addition, the Minister Counselor also coordinated with Nifora, a Thai massage shop in Tehran, which employs 33 Thai workers. The Minister Counselor contacted Mr. Sornthan Buranawichan, former head of Thai workers, who informed that the embassy uses 2 methods of communication, namely through the Line application which includes a Thai community group in Iran, which is a way to receive information from the Royal Thai Embassy in Tehran at all times. The workers also get news from Thai people and customers using their services too.
Minister Counselor (on labour) from the Labour Office in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), LCdr. Witawas Kooprasert reported that he has coordinated with accommodations, hotels, restaurants, spas, and other establishments where Thai workers work, such as Amazing Spirit, 300Spa, Nobel hotel and Capitol hotel in Erbil, the capital of Kurd in the special administrative region of Kurdistan, northern Iraq. The Minister Counselor met with Thai workers and coordinated with employers to spread awareness about the situation, as well as survey the needs of workers in the event of a violent incident that results in evacuation of workers back to Thailand.
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Division of Public Relations/
News by Chaninthorn Phettab/
8 January 2020
