Chinese, Burmese and Cambodian workers in mass crackdown at construction site in Thailand
Authorities arrested 122 Chinese, Burmese, and Cambodian workers in a mass crackdown at a construction site in Thailand.
The Pathum Thani Provincial Employment Office coordinated with soldiers to inspect a construction site on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok, on June 11.
Officers stormed into the Nava Nakorn Industrial Zone, where they found 86 Chinese nationals, 34 Burmese workers, and two Cambodians.
Upon noticing the troops, the panicked builders fled in different directions.
Authorities detained 146 workers, but screenings found 122 were illegally employed. They were charged with illegal entry, working outside permitted job categories, and working without a permit.
The workers were reportedly employed by China Electronics System Engineering No. 2 Construction Co Ltd, an international construction and engineering contractor operating under a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
The raid followed reports that a large number of Chinese labourers were working at the site.
The employment office subsequently coordinated with intelligence officers and the Internal Security Operations Command to conduct an investigation.
They then launched the operation after confirming foreign workers were present.
The construction site, operated by DAMAC Digital, covered around two acres (five rai), and was the site of a 20-storey building construction.
Officials said the suspects will be transferred to an immigration detention facility in Bangkok pending deportation proceedings.
