grateful lot!

[Peter]

More than 1,000 foreign unpaid volunteers from about 25 countries helping tsunami survivors rebuild shattered lives were outraged yesterday to hear they face legal action by the Labour Ministry unless they have a work permit.

Sombat Boonngam-anong, director of the Chiang Rai-based Krajok Ngao Foundation, said confusion and anger reigned among the foreign volunteers at Khao Lak when a Labour Ministry official told a local English-language newspaper that they were required to register with the ministry for a work permit otherwise legal action would be taken against them starting March 1.

The official was reported as saying that although the volunteers were not earning any money, they were still required to have a work permit. The report has also appeared on websites, causing panic among the volunteers. They are now asking what they should do next. We can't get the right answers for them, Sombat said.

Labour Ministry officials, after the interview was published, also went to their living quarters, raising more concern among the volunteers.


If a volunteer is arrested, we will fight hard to have him freed. What's the point in getting them registered? As several thousand have come on a rotational basis, this would only make their work difficult, said Sombat.

He suggested that the cabinet pass a resolution to relax some legal requirements to facilitate the volunteers' work.

Senator Kraisak Choonhavan, chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, expressed concern over the matter. He said the volunteers were are not only helping the tsunami victims but also promoting tourism and bringing in donations. The Labour Ministry is not doing the right thing by treating them like alien workers. This will only lead to criticism by the international community, he said.

He sent a letter to the Labour Ministry opposing the move, he said, and was told by Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong's secretary that as far as he knew the ministry had no such policy.

[Cerberus]

Methinks a bit of both. Cynical but good business sense.
Mind you given the ammounts of "donated aid cash"......won't they just be recouping funds? lol.

Seems to be a typical response from disaster hit countries following flood/earthquake rescue efforts or so called "liberation" attempts so why not take them at face value? Lets get the fuck out & let them get on with it!

[Deuce Bigolo]

I think the reasoning behind this is Paedophilea reading bwteen the lines

Its been well reported that kidnapping syndicates have been active already

This sort of calamity really screams for a Worldwide Mod Squad not 25 different aid agencies trying not to duplicate services

cheers
B....OZ