Tearful Mother Understands Daughter's Flight from Korean Employer, Hopes to Raise 700,000 Baht to Clear Family Debt
A Thai worker on a seasonal visa in South Korea remains illegally rather than return home, where her mother struggles with health issues and the family faces 720,000 baht in combined debt. The daughter fled her employer over safety concerns
A mother in Maha Sarakham province tearfully explained her daughter's decision to flee an employer in South Korea, revealing the family's desperate financial situation. The young worker, one of six Thai laborers on the E-8 seasonal labor visa program, has remained illegally in South Korea and refuses to return home despite officials' requests. Her daughter told her not to worry, insisting she will work to earn money and support the family, as she sympathizes with her parents' situation.
The main reason for the daughter's escape was safety concerns about her employer's behavior. The single male employer frequently assigned work outside normal duties and once entered her room without notice, frightening her into fleeing.
The family faces severe financial hardship. The father suffers from high blood pressure while the mother has struggled with cerebral artery stenosis for over five years and cannot perform heavy labor. They carry substantial debts, including 470,000 baht to the Government Savings Bank accumulated over more than 10 years, plus an additional 250,000 baht in informal debt. Currently, they can only afford to pay interest.
The daughter previously ran a small plant-growing business that failed due to losses. Her dream was to build a house and return to care for her parents comfortably, but the heavy debt burden drove her to seek work abroad. Though the mother wishes her daughter would return to Thailand immediately, she understands her reasons. The family relies on the daughter as their main pillar of support, so the mother can only hope her daughter stays safe in Korea.
