Thai workers in Libya and their relatives have called on authorities to step up their efforts to bring them home, saying they have been badly affected by the violent political unrest.

Relatives of Thai workers in Libya sit around a learning centre in tambon Lung Pradu in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Huai Thalaeng district to follow the news of family members stranded in the strife-torn country. More than 130 men from this tambon, comprising 15 villages, work in Libya. PRASIT TANGPRASERT

Suchart Khamphan, a 53-year-old worker, told the Bangkok Post by telephone from Libya, that a group of 49 Thai workers at a construction site in the city of Edri were living in fear of clashes while their food supplies were also running out fast.

The construction workers, all of them from northeastern provinces such as Nakhon Ratchasima and Udon Thani, had been working on a housing estate project in the southern city, located about 1,300 kilometres from restive Tripoli, for more than eight months.

"Food shops are closed and we dare not to go outside the camp for fear of violence," he said.

They survived on food given to them by staff from the property developer twice a day.

Mr Suchart complained that they were living in poor conditions even before the protests flared up.

The Libyan employer had refused to pay their wages for three months and had abandoned the project while the Thai staff from a job broker firm went back to Thailand two weeks ago, he said.

"We are all alone here. We want to go home, but don't know how," Mr Suchart said, adding the group could contact neither Thai embassy officials nor the job placement company.

A staff member from Siam Work Co, the job placement firm responsible for the group of 49 workers in Edri, said the company had tried to contact the workers but failed.

"The company has tried its best to help them.

"We also asked the Labour Ministry to help the workers, but staff there told us that they have to help those in the more dangerous areas first," she said.

Anxiety is growing among relatives of Thais working in Libya as they have been unable to contact their loved ones following the wave of political turmoil in the country.

Relatives of the workers in tambon Lung Pradu of Nakhon Ratchasima's Huai Thalaeng district flocked to the community's learning centre yesterday to obtain updates on the situation. More than 130 Thai labourers working in Libya come from this tambon.

Lamai Khlangdee said she made her last phone call to her husband Thanik on Tuesday asking him whether he had had any food. Shortly after replying that he had not yet eaten, the phone signal was cut off.

Mr Thanik worked as a trailer driver in an area about 10 kilometres from downtown Tripoli. He earns 18,000 baht a month and remits 25,000 baht every three months.

"What I can do now is to pray for his safety. Now, I have to console our children that dad will soon return home," she said.

Wijak Polsaen, whose two sons work in Libya, said his eldest son was being evacuated to India, where he would board a flight to Thailand. However, there had not been any news from his younger son Pichai, who works as a mechanic at a factory.

Boonyoung Pitusombat said her husband Akkhaphol Chorattanamongkol, who works as a truck driver in Libya, recently telephoned her to tell her he that was staying in a workers' camp where they had only some bread and instant noodles to eat.

The first 45 Thai workers taking part in an evacuation operation are due to arrive back in Thailand by plane today, while Labour Ministry staff have arrived in Tunisia to help take care of about 1,000 Thai workers who have fled the fighting.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/223542/food-scarce-fears-for-labourers-rise