SAMUT PRAKAN — No charges have been filed against individuals who abandoned a group of migrant workers from Samut Sakhon on the roadside outside Bangkok so far, police said Tuesday.
Although investigators identified STI Precision plastic factory as the employer of the 18 workers, and the owner of the van that drove them out of the province before leaving on the Bangna-Trad Highway last week, no legal action was ever taken. Police said they needed to question more victims before filing any charges.
“Nothing much can be done right now as the migrant workers are currently placed under quarantine,” Bang Kaew police superintendent Mongkol Aonkaew said.
“We have already questioned representatives of the factory. They said they have nothing to do with the migrant workers since they’re not in control of factory operations.”
Col. Mongkol continued, “We have issued summon warrants for the drivers and they will come to meet us soon. Once we get all the testimonies, we can begin legal action.”
The company could not be reached for comments as of publication time.
Police had previously said that individuals who drove the group out of Samut Sakhon could be charged for defying the Governor’s order on travel restrictions of migrant workers.
The order became effective on Dec. 19 in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus, where a total of 1,381 migrant workers in the province became infected as of Tuesday.
Bang Kaew superintendent Mongkol said investigators are also checking with the immigration police whether the migrant workers hold a valid working document. If not, their employer may face charges under immigration laws as well, he said.
