17 migrant workers arrested in Samut Prakan
Seventeen migrant workers at an ice factory in Samut Prakan have been arrested for using fake migrant identification cards and work permits.
The arrests were made at Chai Kittiwat Ice Factory at 5.30pm Wednesday after 65 workers from the factory went to the Samut Prakan Labour Welfare and Protection Office earlier in the day to file a complaint against the factory.
The workers complained to the office that their employer forced them to work 11 hours a day without overtime pay for the excess hours.
The office asked police to check the factory after noticing that there were no records of ID cards and work permits in the Labour Ministry’s online database.
Police found that 17 of the workers were using fake documents.
A Myanmar worker said he and friends were driven from Kanchanaburi after sneaking across the border. He said they paid around Bt7,000 to Bt10,000 for the fare.
He said when they arrived at the factory, their employer made an ID card for them by taking their photos and collected a fee of Bt12,000. They added that they had no idea the documents were not authentic.
Police will investigate and take action against the factory owner later.