Odia Workers Stranded in Thailand Without Salaries, Passports Seek Government Help

Bhubaneswar: Five Indian migrant workers, including four from Odisha’s Kendrapara district, have made an urgent appeal to the Central and state governments for rescue and repatriation, alleging that they have been trapped in Thailand without salaries, passports or adequate food for the past several months.

The workers, currently employed at a plywood manufacturing unit in Thailand’s Kabin Buri district, released video messages describing their plight and seeking immediate intervention from Indian authorities. They alleged that their employer has withheld their wages for the last four months and confiscated their passports, leaving them unable to return home.

The affected workers have been identified as Khirod Das of Gobanga village, Manoj Mallick of Poijharia village, Kailash Sethi of Nahuni village under Rajkanika block, and Nityananda Mallick of Padanipal village under Aul block in Kendrapara district. Raj Kumar Pasi, a native of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, is also reportedly stranded under similar circumstances.

According to the workers, they travelled to Thailand more than a year ago after being promised employment opportunities. However, they alleged that they were taken on tourist visas and later found themselves in a vulnerable situation. Repeated requests to recover their passports and pending wages have reportedly yielded no results.

The workers claimed that the prolonged non-payment of salaries has pushed them into severe financial distress, making it difficult to arrange even basic necessities such as food. They further alleged that company officials have threatened them with police action and physical harm whenever they demanded their dues or expressed a desire to leave the workplace.

Adding to their concerns, the workers said their visas have already expired, leaving them anxious about possible legal consequences in the foreign country. They fear that without timely intervention, their situation could worsen further.

In their appeal, the workers urged the Governments of India, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, along with the Indian Embassy in Thailand, to take immediate steps to secure their release, recover their travel documents and facilitate their safe return home.

The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers abroad and raised questions about the role of unregulated recruitment networks that send job seekers overseas without adequate safeguards.