Three Thais perish in Korea
Three Thai men working on a South Korean farm were killed yesterday after a fire burned through a shipping container they were sleeping in.
Families of the three workers - Wutthaichai Sukthawee, Praphas Phol-anant and Itthiphol Chaichainat - may not receive any compensatory pay from local authorities, as they were working there illegally. But Suphat Kukhun, a senior labour welfare official, said yesterday each of the families would be eligible for a Bt40,000 payment from a Labour Ministry-supported fund. He said the three men entered South Korea legally as skilled workers many years ago, but later left their employers to work as labourers on the farm. Thai and South Korean authorities had no information on the cause of the fire, but sources close to the men's families said the blaze was caused by a short circuit after electric cooking equipment overheated. Relatives of Wutthaichai and Praphas, both from Chaiyaphum, said the pair travelled to work in South Korea for seven years, but recently fled to work illegally on the farm, which grows traditional ginseng herb. They said that Wutthaichai had worked at the farm for just one day. Manoon Punyakariyakorn, at the Department of Employment, said later he was considering providing extra training on power voltage to around 5,000 Thai workers set to go to South Korea to work. Meanwhile, Amnesty International urged South Korea yesterday to protect the rights of foreign workers, warning they can face serious human rights violations and discrimination.
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