Thai workers in Japan fall victim to job scam, left stranded and penniless

Two Thai workers in Japan contacted the media for help after falling victim to a job scam in which they were lured to Japan with promises of high salaries, only to end up with no work and living in substandard conditions. The victims claim that the job agents, who charged them 150,000 baht (US$4,321) each for the opportunity, have made no effort to help them find jobs or return their money.

The victims of the job scam include 42 year old Wasana Suwannakram, and 29 year old Ton, who paid a total of 300,000 baht (US$8,640) to the agent, Ruen, and his wife. After arriving in Japan, they found themselves without work or money to survive, living with other victims in a small room. The workers claimed that they were promised jobs and salaries of at least 50,000 baht (US$1,440) at factories and as technicians, but arrived in Japan to find no such opportunities.

“They said there would be good jobs, good accommodation, and salaries between 50,000 and 60,000 baht. But when we got here, there were no jobs,” said Maem, a 45 year old Thai woman who came to Japan in the hopes of earning money to pay off her debts.

The victims say many other Thai workers are also suffering in Japan and wish to return home but do not have the money to do so, KhaoSod reported.

The Thai media contacted Ruen, who allegedly continued to deflect responsibility for the victims’ predicament, stating that they needed to pay for new jobs if they wanted assistance. The workers are now hoping for government intervention to return them safely to Thailand and to hold the job agent accountable for their suffering.

Two weeks ago, it was reported that a fraudulent employment agent lured nearly 30 Thais with enticing job opportunities on Australian cattle farms, duping them out of tens of millions of baht. The victims came forward, filing a complaint with Thai police against the alleged con artist claiming high social status. To read more click HERE.