Embassies will update lists of Thai workers.

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Embassies will update lists of Thai workers

Evacuation delays prompt database action
Published: 16/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News
 
Recent emergencies around the world have prompted authorities to update their database of Thais living overseas.

Prasittiporn Wetprasit, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry's consular affairs department, said the ministry had alerted all Thai embassies and consulates to prepare to update their databases of Thais living in each country.

This will give critical information about the number of Thais in each country, locations and evacuation plans for use during emergencies such as riots or natural disasters.

"We are trying to mount a public relations scheme to tell all Thais who plan to stay long in each country to inform Thai embassies about their whereabouts," said Mr Prasittiporn.

In the past three months, the government has assisted thousands of Thais in repatriation from foreign countries, particularly from political unrest in the Middle East and natural disasters.

The unprecedented high number of evacuees this year has already cost the government 500 million baht. The Libya evacuation cost more than 403 million baht, while the department normally gets only 20 million baht per year of emergency assistance budget.

More than eight million Thais are recorded to be in foreign countries each year _ one million living abroad and seven million travelling through immigration checkpoints.

Despite its best efforts, the ministry has received complaints from some overseas Thais or their relatives over its slow response in providing assistance. A government source admitted that unconfirmed records of Thais living in each country have become an obstacle as the government needs accurate information to plan evacuations.

When the tsunami hit Japan last month, only about 10,000 Thais contacted authorities through the Thai network for assistance, but Japanese immigration figures show there were at least 40,000 Thais living there. These numbers did not include people who entered the country illegally.

Only 39 women and students were flown back to Thailand in the military C-130 aircraft that had delivered essential supplies to tsunami victims.

In Egypt, nearly 2,000 Thais stranded in Cairo were evacuated on eight flights.

Libya was a successful case for the government. About 12,000 Thai workers were evacuated from the strife-torn country to safer places before being returned to Thailand. Information provided by labour camp chiefs was very useful for the evacuation.

"Thailand was the first country in Southeast Asia to evacuate its people from Libya. Even then, we still got complaints from their relatives," said Mr Prasittiporn.

Due to the large number of evacuees in Libya, the government had to charter ships from Italy to take about 5,000 workers to Tunisia and Rome. It also had to pay for 45 buses, three hotels and 23 flights.

China was able to evacuate its people a few days earlier than Thailand with its own ships and 91 flights without renting vehicles.

"The budget [for evacuation] is a basic insurance service for the Thai government, but it should not be a cost-free service. If possible, those who use this service should pay back the government," said the source.