Pattaya immigration detain 38 Lao and Vietnamese workers

Immigration police in Pattaya detained numerous undocumented workers from Laos and Vietnam following complaints from locals. The operation, conducted on June 24 at a market in Soi Phonprapanimit, Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chon Buri province, aimed to address concerns about foreign workers allegedly taking jobs from Thai citizens.

During the raid, officers discovered 38 individuals (25 men and 13 women) from Laos and Vietnam. Many of these workers lacked the necessary documentation, including passports and work permits.

Another Vietnamese worker claimed she was in Thailand as a tourist and was merely buying vegetables at the market. However, police detained her when she failed to produce her passport, reported The Pattaya News.

All detainees were transported to the Chon Buri Immigration Office. There, they faced charges for entering and staying in Thailand illegally and working without proper permits. The workers received fines and will be deported back to their respective countries.

In related news, Thai immigration officers cracked down on immigrant workers allegedly encroaching on local professions in Bangkok’s bustling Ratchathewi district.

Thai immigration officers, alongside immigration police and Phaya Thai police, have disclosed a meticulously planned operation aimed at eliminating immigrant workers accused of infringing upon the livelihoods of Thai locals without proper authorisation. The operation saw more than 20 officers combing through markets in the Pratunam area, a hotspot for immigrant worker activity.

Prompted by grievances from residents, who claimed immigrant workers from Cambodia, Burma, Laos, and Vietnam were unlawfully peddling goods without supervision, immigration authorities sprung into action. The probe revealed 13 individuals, split into two groups, caught red-handed flouting labour laws.

The first group, comprised of undocumented workers, faced immediate deportation, while the second group, possessing work permits but violating working conditions, found themselves in hot water for illicitly setting up stalls.

Notably, 12 Burmese workers and one Laotian were taken to the Phaya Thai police station for legal processing and eventual expulsion from the country.