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Lost identity returned
- Published: 29 Sep 2010 at 10.27
- Online news: Easier Stuff
One of a Thai citizen’s most important possessions is his or her identification (ID) card. Without it, life can quickly get difficult.
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Lost identity returned
Pong Lamorn shows a yellow ID card issued for temporary use. His identity was stolen while he was in jail TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD
One of a Thai citizen’s most important possessions is his or her identification (ID) card. Without it, life can quickly get difficult.
Pong Lamorn, a native of Sa Kaeo, found out the hard way. At some time around 1990, he applied for an ID card and was issued with a yellow document as a temporary ID.
Unfortunately, he was arrested and jailed for 13 years on drug charges. His yellow paper was kept at his elder brother’s house.
After serving his prison term, he went to a local district office to have a proper ID card issued only to be told the card had been issued to someone else.
Life as a former convict can be difficult at the best of times, but Mr Pong quickly found out it was near impossible without a proper ID. He had essentially become an illegal alien, deprived of his basic rights.
He was unable to apply for jobs and what work he was able to find left him open to abuse. He never received his wages from painting pictures at a local temple, for example.
Fortunately for Mr Pong, the Department of Special Investigation became involved in the case since identity theft is rampant in border provinces such as Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Phanom, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
The fake IDs are used mostly by migrant workers who come to Thailand to seek jobs. They pay 100,000 baht for their new identity.
Pol Lt Pong-in Intharakhao, director of the DSI’s special cases office, said gangs, apparently with the help of local administration officials, add the names of workers to victims’ household registration papers and use that information to apply for ID cards.
As for Mr Pong, it took his military conscription paper, Sa Kaeo prison documents and a DNA test to finally get his ID card.
Adapted from a story in today’s Bangkok Post by King-oua Laohong
identity – who someone is เอกลักษณ์
citizen – someone who has the right to live permanently in a particular country พลเมือง
possessions – things owned ทรัพย์สมบัติ
identification card – an official card given out by a government indicating who someone is บัตรประชาชน, บัตรประจำตัวประชาชน
native – someone who was born in a particular place ชาวพื้นเมือง
apply – to make a formal request for permission to do or have something ขอ
issue – to officially give out ออก,
temporary – done or used for only a limited period of time, i.e., not permanent ชั่วคราว
arrest – (of the police) to take someone to a police station because they are believed to have committed a crime จับกุม
charge – an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime ข้อหา
elder – older ที่แก่กว่า
serve a prison term – to spend time in prison as a punishment มารับโทษจำคุก
convict – someone who is in prison because they have committed a crime นักโทษ
proper – actual or real จริง
essentially – almost exactly the same as; mostly true, but not completely true โดยพื้นฐาน
illegal alien – a person from another country who is living in a country without having the right to do so คนต่างด้าวที่ไม่มีสิทธิอยู่
deprive – to prevent someone from having something ทำให้ไม่ได้รับ
right – something that you are morally or legally allowed to do or have สิทธิ
abuse – cruel, violent tor unfair treatment, especially of someone who does not have the power to prevent it การข่มเหง, การปฏิบัติไม่ดีต่อ
wages – an amount of money that you earn for working, usually according to how many hours or days you work each week or month ค่าจ้าง
local – in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
investigation – the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something in order to discover who or what caused it or how it happened การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง
theft – (the act of) dishonestly taking something which belongs to someone else and keeping it การลักขโมย
rampant – existing, happening or spreading in an uncontrolled way รุกลาม อาละวาด กำเริบ รุนแรงจนควบคุมไว้ไม่ได้
border – the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
fake – made to look like something real to trick people ปลอม
migrant – someone who travels to another place or country in order to find work ผู้อพยพ
apparently – based only on what you have heard or think, not on what you are certain is true; seemingly ตามที่ได้รู้มา
victim – someone who has been harmed, injured or killed as the result of a crime เหยื่อผู้เคราะห์ร้าย
household registration papers – ทะเบียนบ้าน
conscription – the process of making people join the armed forces the process of making people join the armed forces การเกณฑ์ทหาร
document – a paper or set of papers with written or printed information, especially of an official type เอกสาร
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