PM calls for Cambodian workers in Thailand to return home

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has appealed to Cambodian workers in Thailand to return home, saying that labor markets in Cambodia are eager for workers and that wages have gone up significantly, national media reported Thursday.

"Wages in Cambodia are currently higher than in Thailand," Hun Sen was quoted as saying in the Phnom Penh Post.

"If they work (here), they will not be looked down on by (Thai) employers or have to work illegally," he said.

"The government will improve working conditions in Cambodia and strengthen labor laws and stability as well as guarantee investment opportunities," he added.

Some 18,300 Cambodians work in Thailand, and between 100 and 150 workers enter Thailand daily for short-term employment, according to the Ministry of Labor.

Oum Mean, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labor, said most workers who entered into Thailand illegally are being cheated by employment recruiters and are taking unnecessary risks by not having proper work documents.

Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand are working in the construction, agricultural and fisheries sectors, according to the Chiang Mai-based Migrant Assistance Project.