“Thailand protests Israel over pressure on workers who seek return”

…Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Tuesday he was dissatisfied with the Israeli ambassador in Bangkok over pressure on Thai workers in Israel to stay in the country amid the escalation of tension in the Middle East.

Srettha said he had received reports that some employers offer between THB50,000 and THB100,000 ($1,381 and $2,762) to change the minds of Thai workers who have requested to return to their country as a result of the growing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Israeli ambassador Orna Sagiv said she was unaware of these complaints and promised to investigate them, the prime minister said without providing more information.

Thais are one of the largest groups of migrant workers in Israel, along with Filipinos…

Thailand began sending thousands of seasonal workers to Israel after signing an agreement in 2012 to fill jobs in the Israeli agricultural sector.

The situation of these workers has been denounced for alleged labor abuses and precarious housing and health conditions, as denounced by the NGO Human Rights Watch in a report in 2015.

However, Israeli authorities have denied these accusations and say hundreds of inspections are carried out each year to ensure the well-being of foreign workers…