The Labour Minister expressed concern for Thai workers in South Korea after received reports about involvement with drugs. He has given urgent orders to the Labor Ambassador and inspection of Thai workers, warning Thai workers not to interfere with drugs as South Korea imposes strong penalties, including maximum life imprisonment.
Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin revealed that he had received a report from the Counsellor Minister (on Labour) from the Thai Embassy in Seoul. The report said that the CBS News Center in South Korea presented news about Thai workers’ involvement with drugs in South Korea. Thus, he gave urgent orders to the Labour Ambassador to inspect and support the Thai workers immediately.
From the initial examination, it was found that most of the workers were illegitimate, without a work visa. Legal workers, such as those deployed under the EPS, rarely appeared to be involved in drugs as the workers gave greater importance to work to send money home to support their family. Furthermore, the workers were fearful of prosecution under South Korean law, which is punishable by drug or drug possession. The terms include imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine not exceeding 50 million won. For drug trafficking, imprisonment can reach up to 3 years or a fine of up to 50 million won, and for exporting or producing drugs, imprisonment can extend to 5 years or more, or life imprisonment.
“The government places great emphasis on accelerating the resolution to illegal Thai workers in the Republic of Korea, including the implementation of legal measures. The Ministry of Labour has accelerated measures to deploy Thai workers to work in South Korea and conduct drug tests among EPS workers before allowing them to travel to work. This will prevent the need for continued drug use. If workers are returned to Thailand from a drug-related cause, their rights to work in foreign countries may be suspended permanently,” said Mr. Suchart Chomklin.
Mr. Suchart added that to work in South Korea, the selection process includes several stages. Applicants must also practice their Korean language and work skills. He commended the Thai workers’ patience and reminded them that when they go to work abroad, they must take great responsibilities and follow Korean law and culture. Workers must not interfere with drugs, intoxication, and gambling and focus on reaping working experiences to bring back to Thailand. This is especially for language training, as it will allow the workers to find work easily. Well behaved and determined workers will contribute to Thailand’s reputation, which is important as it will affect the number of Thai workers who will travel to work in the future.
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Division of Public Relations
31 August 2020
