Odisha Migrant Workers Plead for Rescue in Thailand

Bhubaneswar: Four migrant workers from Kendrapara district of Odisha and one from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, have appealed for urgent rescue after being trapped in Thailand’s Kabin Buri district.

The workers — Khirod Das, Manoj Mallick, Kailash Sethi, Nityananda Mallick, and Raj Kumar Pasi — allege that their employer at a plywood factory confiscated their passports, withheld wages for four months, and denied them food and medical care.

One of them, Kailash Sethi, is reportedly suffering from health issues.

According to video messages sent to their families, the workers were threatened with violence and police action if they demanded payment or attempted to leave.

One worker was asked to pay Rs 3 lakh to retrieve his passport, while another was denied permission to attend his mother’s funeral in India.

The stranded men have urged the Odisha and Uttar Pradesh governments, as well as the Indian Embassy in Thailand, to intervene.

Officials in India are verifying details, but no response has yet been received from the company or Thai authorities.

This case highlights the risks faced by unregulated overseas labourers and underscores the urgent need for stricter monitoring of foreign employment practices.