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Modern day Shanghai
This one is straight out of “Ripley’s Believe it or
Not”. Apparently, old methods of kidnapping people off the streets and
forcing them into labour out on the open sea, once known as
“Shanghaied”, are still happening, as Amnart Monyunanao and Vinai
Kukphimai recently found out.
Mr. Amnart Monyunanao, 24, filed a complaint with police on October 22.
Amnart, a high school graduate with computer experience, told police
that he was unemployed and desperate for work when he was approached by
Mr. Porn (surname unknown) who represented himself as an employment
agent of the Royal Pattaya Department store. He told Amnart that the
store was short of employees in the computer department and he could be
employed at the store with a beginning salary of 6000 baht per month.
Amnart agreed and came to Pattaya to begin work.
When Amnart and a friend, Vinai Kukphimai, arrived in Pattaya, Porn told
them he had forgotten some of his belongings in a fishing boat and asked
Amnart and Vinai to help collect them. As soon as they were on the boat,
Porn threatened the two and told them this is where they were to work
and they could not disembark without his permission.
The two young men, tricked into being unwilling fishermen, were forced
to work from morning till night without any rest, and soon began to
think of ways to escape.
On October 22, the boat ran out of fuel, offering Amnart his first
chance to escape. Seeing his chance, he offered to help carry the 200
litre cans of fuel from the shore to the boat, after which he jumped
ship and ran.
But Porn managed to catch him and kicked him down onto the sand of
Jomtien Beach. Amnart managed to get up, whereupon a fight ensued.
Amnart fought hard enough to escape Porn, and then ran to the Pattaya
Police Station.
When he arrived at the station, Amnart had no shoes and his feet were
swollen, bruised and blistered. He told police that his friend was still
imprisoned on the boat and described the vessel as being newly
assembled, had not yet been painted and was anchored near Jomtien Beach.
He also said all his and his friend’s personal belongings were still on
board.
The police immediately sent a group of officers to find the ship, but to
no avail, as it had already hauled anchor and disappeared.
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