4 Thais held over workers' deaths
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A court in Ranong province has sentenced four Thai nationals to up to 10 years in prison for their role in the death of 54 illegal workers from Myanmar, who died from suffocation inside a shipping container in 2008.
The Thai labour market has long needed migrant workers, especially in fishing and construction sectors, while people from Myanmar have often come to Thailand looking for jobs due to higher wages.
The victims were among the 121 people packed into a shipping container, which was also being used to transport seafood from Ranong to Phuket on April 9, 2008.
Investigation showed that the container’s ventilation system was not working.
The truck driver, Suchon Boonplong, ignored the cries for help for a long time before finally stopping to check and fled upon discovering that many had died from suffocation.
Suchon later gave himself up to police and named four others, Dumrong Pussadee, Chalermchai Warischanpleng, Jirawat Sopapanwarakul and Punchalee Chusung, who were later charged with being involved in human trafficking and gross negligence resulting in death.
Dumrong, the owner of the truck, was sentenced to 10 years; Chalermchai nine years; Jirawat and Suchon six years each and Panchalee three years.
