Four migrant workers from Odisha’s Kendrapara district and one from Uttar Pradesh have appealed for immediate rescue after alleging exploitation and confinement in Thailand’s Kabin Buri district.
The workers—Khirod Das, Manoj Mallick, Kailash Sethi, and Nityananda Mallick from Kendrapara, along with Raj Kumar Pasi from Gorakhpur—said they have been stranded without salaries, passports, or food for months. They claimed their employer at a plywood factory confiscated their passports and withheld wages for four months.
Through video messages, the group described threats of violence and police action if they demanded payment or attempted to leave. One worker alleged that the company demanded ₹3 lakh for returning his passport. Another said he was denied permission to attend his mother’s funeral in India.
The workers revealed that they were recruited on tourist visas more than a year ago and now face expired visa status. Kailash Sethi reportedly suffers from health complications but has not received medical care.
They urged the Odisha and Uttar Pradesh governments, as well as Indian diplomatic authorities, to intervene and ensure their safe return. Officials in India have begun verifying the details, though no response has yet come from the company or Thai authorities.
The Thailand migrant workers’ ordeal highlights the growing risks faced by unregulated overseas labourers and underscores the need for stricter monitoring of foreign employment practices.
