Thai netizens slam illegal workers in South Korea for arrest protest

Thai netizens slammed illegal Thai workers in South Korea for organising a protest, demanding local authorities stop arresting them.

A Facebook account under the name Fonfon Snt shared pictures of herself and other illegal workers protesting outside the immigration office in Yangju City, Gyeonggi province, South Korea.

“Stop arresting Phi Noi (an illegal Thai worker in South Korea). We are calling for justice. We are also human, not criminals!”

The pictures depicted a group of Thai workers holding a banner stating, “Press conference condemning the Yangju Immigration crackdown…” Two women were seen carrying small signs that read, “Work is not a crime! Guarantee the labour rights of migrant workers!” and “Respect the dignity of migrant workers!”

The Facebook post went viral on Thai social media and was reposted on Twitter by the Red Skull account. A lot of Thai netizens strongly expressed their disagreement with the illegal workers’ actions and shamed them for destroying the image of the Thai people in the eyes of South Korea.

“I have no sympathy for them at all. They entered the country with tourist visas and later became illegal workers. You all didn’t even pay South Korean taxes. Why do you dare to call for justice?”

“Not a criminal? You really are since you overstayed your visas.”

“First thing first, work legally.”

“You all are making it harder for other Thais to enter.”

“I am trying to work legally in South Korea. I had to undergo multiple processes, and I have been waiting for over a year already. There are no available positions for legal workers because the illegal ones stole all the jobs.”

Due to the negative comments, Fonfon Snt closed her Facebook account. As of now, there have been no updates on the response from the Yangju Immigration Office and other relevant departments in South Korea.

This is not the first time that Phi Noi faced a backlash. Many Thais previously condemned illegal Thai workers for imposing stricter restrictions on Thai tourists entering South Korea, resulting in many being denied entry.

Several Thai tourists, including celebrities, singers, and social media influencers, have been unable to enter South Korea in the past year as a consequence of Phi Noi, also known as “Little Ghosts.”