BKK POST: February 2, 1998: Little

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BKK POST: February 2, 1998: Little Burma in Thailand

              Life for Burmese in ghetto community

              Anucha Charoenpo and Wassayos Ngarmkham

              The first glimpse of a small community in the middle of Samut
              Sakhon's Mahachai will make any visitors think they have
              wandered into Burma.

              It is the biggest Burmese ghetto in the province where tens of
              thousands of them work in the shrimp industry. It is also known
              as "Little Burma" for local residents there.

              They speak, act and are dressed like the way they do at home.
              Men and women wear well-known sarongs although the latter
              are in more colourful ones. Burmese music can be heard from
              tape recorders and Burmese flicks are available on video
              cassettes.

              Sundays are a day-off for them after a long and tedious work
              with slime.

              However, most family women are busy with their household
              chores and their babies. Several others are dressed up to seek
              entertainment in town.

              Men, young and old, usually hang out in coffee shops to discuss
              topics which ranges from romance to Burmese politics.

              Widely discussed now is the Thai government's policy to
              repatriate illegal alien workers, said Myint Wai, a Burmese
              guide.

              At these shops, they can also dine. The shops serve coffee or tea
              with milk and pairs of doughnuts. A popular Burmese dish is
              pasta which is served with dips and fresh vegetables.

              According to Myint Wai, Burmese workers usually eat a full
              bowl of rice before work because they need energy. That
              amount of rice is equal to the amount a normal Thai would eat
              the whole day.

              The community, known as Talad Kung, is near a shrimp pier
              where they work. It is reportedly under control by a local Thai
              known as tycoon Mor.

              In an I shape, it comprises long rows of four-storey buildings on
              one side and a long row of single-storey house on the other.

              About 10-15 people, men and women, share a room which
              costs about 3,000-4,000 baht per month. There are about 400
              rooms available.

              However, those who cannot afford a more decent one, seek
              shelters in buildings which are still under construction. The rooms
              are free too.

              It is brightly lit day and night here and it is quite noisy. Most of
              those who live here work on shifts each of which lasts about
              10-12 hours.

              Thong, 23, has been working here for five years for a shrimp
              company and receives 5,000 baht per month.

              He shares a room with 13 others at a price of 3,000 baht per
              month.

              For Thong, life here is easier than that in Burma and money is
              also better.

              He said he came to Thailand because he wants to save money
              for his mother. With monthly expenses deducted, he can save
              about 3,000-4,000 baht per month.

              Ko Niak, another Burmese man in his late twenties, has moved
              here for one year with his wife. He was here not to sell his labour
              but to sell goods for his compatriots.

              "I came here because I wanted money," he said, adding that he
              earns about 1,500 baht a day. However, how much he earns
              also depends on police crackdowns on illegal labour.

              He said during the crackdown, he prefers to close the shop
              because illegal workers would not show up in the market.

              Like other communities, this ghetto also has a man who keeps
              things running. The Burmese man will see to it that water,
              electricity, rent and telephone bills are paid.

              Sometimes, it is him who breaks up fist fights between drunks.

              Talad Kung community is also plagued with drugs although
              reports of crimes and prostitution cannot be confirmed,
              according to some residents.

              The most popular drugs are speed pills which are sold to
              workers at 80-120 baht apiece, they said.




                                     




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