Forty-nine Thai workers evacuated out of Libya arrived home safely yesterday. Some said they were robbed or fled with their clothes only.
The Labour Minister said he expected another 10,000 Thai workers to be evacuated eventually.
The first batch of 33, who had worked on the Benina International Airport construction project and stayed near the construction site in Benghazi City, arrived at Suvarnbhumi Airport at 7am and were welcomed by Labour Ministry official Yup Nana, who gave each worker Bt2,000 for travel expenses to their homes upcountry.
The workers were advised to contact their provincial employment offices to request Bt15,000 in assistance money from the state fund assisting workers overseas. For those not wanting to return to Libya, the Employment Department will help them find new jobs.
Yup said an estimated Bt270 million would be spent to assist some 18,000 workers.
Yup also said the ministry would contact the Foreign Ministry to rent a ship to evacuate some 4,000 Thai workers from Libya, which would take at least two trips. He also said he had received a report that 23 Thai workers had already evacuated with their Malaysian employer to Tunisia and 28 others had evacuated with their Chinese employer to Athens. After their plane tickets are arranged they will fly home.
Two workers, Wanchai Panpin and Chup Tenglong, told reporters that the first 33 workers to arrive home were those who had won a draw. They packed up and got on board a bus arranged by their employer last Sunday to travel to the Egyptian border and then board a plane from Qatar to Bangkok. The journey wasn't easy as the bus broke down, forcing them to sleep on the roadside and eat only water and bread. To make matters worse, the bus was robbed by a third party - neither soldiers nor protesters - taking the workers' cash and phones. But no Thais were hurt, they said.
Another worker, Wichai Boonraksa, 29, said many Thai workers remained in Libya and didn't dare to leave their construction camps. At night some worker camps have been attacked and their occupants robbed. Some of those who got out had no time to grab anything but some clothes.
Wichai, who worked in Libya for a year, is Bt70,000 in debt. He borrowed Bt140,000 to fund his travel to work in Libya. He said he wasn't sure if he would go back to Libya later on.
Worker Rob Homniyom had a tearful reunion with his wife, his mother and nine relatives, who rented a truck from Buri Ram to pick him up.
He said the violence in Libya spilled over to his worker camp and their food truck was robbed. Fortunately, he said, Libyan solders rescued them. He said he thought he wouldn't survive to come home. His wife Lamai said they were worried about Rob, whom they couldn't contact during the unrest. She said she was so happy to see him safe at home.
Labour Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said yesterday that he had the ministry spokesman Sutham Natheethong contact Tunisia for help after Thai workers crossed the border there.
Chalermchai said the ministry would arrange four ships to evacuate Thais from Tripoli and Benghazi and bring them to Malta and Tunisia. After that, Thailand will arrange about 10 chartered flights to bring some 3,000 people home.
Admitting that the lack of a Thai labour representative in Libya caused problems in checking workers' names, he said that things would be clearer today, and some 8,000-10,000 Thais could eventually be evacuated by boat and then plane.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said yesterday that Thai authorities had set up a temporary shelter in Tunisia to support Thai workers who were transported by land. Next week, workers will be evacuated by boat from Tripoli to Tunis and Rome. So far about 1,800 Thai workers had left Libya safely. About 500 had crossed the Tunisian-Libyan border, 347 crossed the Egyptian-Libyan border, while some 1,000 others were waiting for a ship at Benghazi, he added.
