Migrant woman drowned to death

Reporter: Tawngtai

A Shan woman named Nang Awng, 19, was drowned in a torrent in Sankamphaeng district, a suburb of Chiang Mai on 15 September.

The girl was drowned during an attempt to escape from the arrest by the Thai police: she was one of several dozens of construction workers who hold no work-permits.

"We tried to pull her up but failed and there were several workers who couldn't swim," said one of her colleagues. Her bloated remains were found on 17 September after two days of vigorous search.

Nang Awng, a native of Loikaw, Kayah State, had been working in Chiang Mai for seven months. Her wage was only 120 baht ($3) per day whereas a man at her age earns 150 baht ($3.25). Her husband, Sai Wan, 20, received 2,000 baht donation from Migrants Assistance Program Foundation.

Altogether 36 illegal workers, 6 Shans and 30 Laotians, were arrested on the day of the incident.

According to the provincial labor office, there were 48,000 registered migrant workers in Chiang Mai in 2004, but only 42,000 applied for work permits during the re-registration period that ended in August.