Help for Thai workers in Iran, Iraq
Labour Minister MR Chatu Mongol Sonakul said on Monday (January 6) that he ordered the Thai minister-counsellors of labour in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to monitor developments and inform Thais working in Iran and Iraq, in response to the situation in those countries after Iranian military leader Qasem Suleimani was killed in a US drone strike on Friday.
“The minister-counsellor is in the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Iran is an area which he is in charge of, looking after the welfare of Thai workers,” M.R.Chatu Mongol said.
M.R.Chatu Mongol also ordered the minister-counsellor of the Thai Labour Office in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh to look after Thai workers in Iraq as well.
He has assigned minister-counsellors to work with Thai consulates and embassies in both countries to facilitate the exit of Thai workers in case the conflict between the US and Iran escalates into a war.
“In addition, the Department of Employment has set up a fund to help Thais working in the foreign countries to get legal help,” he added.
There are 257 Thai workers in Iran and 25 in Iraq, most working as technicians, chefs, masseuses, welders, and in factories or the fishery industry.