25 May 2006
DOHA - There are an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 Thai workers in Qatar and a majority of them are engaged in the booming construction sector, Karoon Lirdluckanawong, First Secretary at the Thai embassy in Doha, said yesterday.

In remarks to The Peninsula, he said most Thais here are semi-skilled hands and draw salaries between QR1,000 and QR1,200 on an average. Families are few.

Thai workers do not come to the embassy with serious complaints, he said. Those who approach the mission mainly complain of not getting Thai food and the hot weather.

Job contracts are a cause of worry for many Thai workers since they are promised monthly salaries when hired, but given the wages once in two to three months. Thailand does not allow its women to work overseas as maids, he said. Thailand has a population of 62 million. Some six million Thais are Muslims.  

© The Peninsula 2006