Rumours of harassment, arrest and even death threats to illegal foreign workers has sparked a mass exodus of Cambodian and Burmese nationals back to their home countries.
Fishing boat operators in Sattahip are pulling their nets in and pulling their hair out trying to find workers to crew their fishing vessels. This is not just a local problem but is causing stress to the whole fishing business in Thailand.
Operators have teamed up with Immigration officials to register workers willing to stay in Thailand despite the rumoured threats to their lives. Boat operators are cringing at the 3,500 Baht fee for each registered crew member and are also being dealt a double whammy of having to offer 200 Baht a day yes a massive 200 Baht a day to entice the foreign workers to step aboard their boats.
So if you find your fish and chips costing a little more next week now you know the reason.
