South Korea is one of the most popular destinations for Thais -- both tourists and illegal workers. According to the Ministry of Labour, there are 165,854 Thais living in South Korea, 143,169 of them illegally. Such a large number of illegal workers has caused Korean immigration officers to strictly screen Thai visitors. On April 20, a Facebook user shared a post saying that only five Thai passengers from a low-cost flight could get through Seoul, while the rest were detained for deportation. On the post, many comments blamed illegal workers for causing trouble for those attempting to travel legitimately. An unlawful worker defended himself by saying others didn't have sympathy for his poverty.
We can understand that poverty is hard. There aren't many choices for uneducated people, and the income that illegal recruitment agents offer is very tempting. Searching on the internet, some agents claimed that workers in South Korea can receive 40,000-80,000 baht per month. Most illegal Thai workers work in gardens and fields as fruit collectors, especially from May until September, as well as masseurs and factory workers. The offer sounds interesting, but workers should also look at those aspects that are worse than working in the Kingdom.
To earn a high income, illegal workers -- who call themselves pee noi, or little ghost -- have to pay fees of 45,000 up to over 100,000 baht to their recruitment agents. Since Korean immigration officers are very strict, agents will train workers to dress and act like tourists. If workers are deported, it means they lose a large amount of money. But if they successfully get through immigration, the workers will meet their employers, who can make their lives either miserable or happy.
A report on BBC Thailand in April of last year showed that the lives of little ghosts are not easy. A 40-year-old male worker was taken advantage of by Korean employees and had to change jobs from a farm to six factories over four years. The employer deducted his wage for clothes and mattress. Some employers didn't pay him like they promised. At his last factory, he could make 3,000-3,600 baht a day, but he had to work for 12 hours each day. During the interview, he said that he hadn't received his wages yet. He suspected that it was because Korean authorities had an eye on unlawful migrants. And if he didn't get the money, he would leave the country in two months.
Compared to Thai labourers, who receive a minimum wage of only 300 baht a day, earning 250 baht per hour in Korea can make many workers overlook any downside that may occur. Working long hours with unhealthy eating and low quality of life makes them sick. Unlike in Thailand, in South Korea people need a prescription to purchase medicine. If a worker has serious symptoms, he or she is in trouble.
Last year, the mother of a female worker was on Channel 28 to ask for charity, because her daughter had a stroke after working long hours for months as a masseur. The daughter was staying in a hospital and the mother wished to bring her daughter home. There was another unfortunate case last year where a male worker was on a video on social media saying he needed help because he lost four fingers in a factory accident and was looking for injury compensation.
For these little ghosts, a legal work permit is the best solution, but many complain that it takes a very long time if they apply for jobs through the Ministry of Labour. Some workers don't have language skills and so don't want to take language tests. They then decide to go unlawfully. On April 26, Prachachat published the good news that the Labour Minister, Pol General Adul Sangsingkeo had a meeting with departments related to the illegal-worker issue to find a solution for illegal immigrants as well as Thai workers who are deceived by recruitment agents. Thai representatives will talk with Korean counterparts about increasing the quota from 5,000 workers to 15,000, and extend the ages of workers from not more than 39 years old to 45 years old. Also, they will strictly screen and blacklist illegal recruitment agents.
Though 15,000 workers is a small amount compared to the 143,169 illegals living in Korea, it's a pretty good start. Workers who want to go to Korea should prepare to improve their language skills, so they can be qualified and pass tests quickly whenever Thailand receives a greater quota. And if they are taken advantage of while working abroad, they can count on themselves and survive rather than asking for sympathy.
Suwitcha Chaiyong is a feature writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.