As office and shop rentals rise, storage space providers see brisk business. But for how long?

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Over the past three years, as some businesses have scaled back to deal with huge accommodations for retail and office environments, demand for these hardware options has increased by a next.

However, because not all of them are the owners of the properties they are in, hardware companies themselves are now falling prey to rising rentals.

These storage companies are under increasing pressure to complete expenses down to customers.

Even as more spaces, like new warehouses, enter the market, recent weekly data indicates that industrial rents are always rising. & nbsp,

Some companies are hoping to benefit from economies of scale.

According to Ms. Rainie Han, assistant operation manager at EZ Storage,” some storage companies will increase the storage price( by ) up to 40 %.” & nbsp,

” For us, the hardware rate has remained the same, and in order to reduce other rates, we will consolidate and manage all of the personal items into a larger inventory.”

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When US national investments succeed and fail

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Key new technologies sectors that were born in the US are now located abroad. & nbsp,

After 2000, the US trade balance for technology items changed from a deficit to an increasing shortage due to the production migration. Concerns about the US’s reliance on foreign sources for corporate products have been raised due to both a significant trade deficit and the risk to national security. & nbsp,

In effect, the US government has provided greater financial support for corporate technical industries, such as the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which pledges US$ 52.7 billion to support the domestic semiconductor manufacturing sector. & nbsp,

Although it is too early to evaluate its effectiveness, there have been earlier initiatives to support strategic different sectors that have both succeeded and failed. Their teachings ought to be taken away. & nbsp,

The silicon and light industries’ long-term support, which began in the 1970s, was the biggest success. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency( DARPA ) of the US Defense Department was then in charge of laying the groundwork for the modern electronic world in chips, lasers, and communications technologies in collaboration with industrial organizations. & nbsp,

However, smaller, more prior initiatives to support new industries, including clean energy, have notable failures. Solar panels were created by numerous startups in the early 2000s using & nbsp, Invented in US.

One of these new businesses, Solyndra & nbsp, built its goods on cutting-edge thin film technology, which was ultimately unworkable for business. It was given a$ 525 million federal loan to help with solar panel production, but it fell short and shut down in 2011.

installation of the circular thermal module design used by Solyndra prior to the company’s demise. Featured image: Solyndra

In the US, solar panels supply is currently very low. The majority of them are produced in China using a silicon technology that is completely different from Solyndra. This industry is worth$ 30 billion annually, with much of it being exported to the US. Rates have drastically decreased as a result, and no American organization can thrive with foreign businesses. & nbsp,

An attempt to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles in the US was another loss. With a novel lithium-ion technology, & nbsp, A123 was born out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology( MIT ) in the early 2000s and entered the market for rechargeable consumer electronic batteries, which was dominated by Asian producers like LG.

A123, on the other hand, concentrated on large systems, specifically on batteries for electric vehicles( EVs ), which were expected to eventually grow into a sizable market, presuming the availability of useful and reasonably priced rechargeable batteries. & nbsp,

The business entered into supply agreements with EV-focused businesses like General Motors ( GM ), but it continued to concentrate on the materials side of battery technology and delegated system integration to its partners. Because it affected its customers’ EV capabilities, this was a significant strategic mistake.

Tesla, which collaborated with well-known Eastern cell manufacturers’ battery technology, was noticeably absent from its client list. Its proprietary system technology made it possible for it to produce and market early electric vehicles( EVs ). Fisker, a significant A123 business, filed for bankruptcy in the interim, and the business was unable to produce profitable products. & nbsp,

A123 was undoubtedly a clear achievement at first. The business raised almost a billion dollars through an initial public offering( IPO ), including$ 250 million from the US government as part of the Federal Recovery Act of 2009. & nbsp,

Despite investing in high-quality development services, the company continued to lose money on the goods it sold. A123 declared bankruptcy in 2012 after failing to raise enough money to continue operating due to ongoing costs. & nbsp, It was eventually purchased by a significant manufacturer of Chinese automotive parts. & nbsp,

A123 Systems R & amp, D Laboratory’s NHR 9200 battery test systems. Photo: Facebook

These are all blatant examples of industrial policy intended to support different sectors and all involved public financing supplementing personal funds.

While the other two industries failed, the silicon company’s expansion was a large success. The most gifted individuals in the world were drawn to the semiconductor system. & nbsp,

Its performance was attributable to maintaining lucrative activities in business, education, and research facilities with wise US federal funding, primarily managed through DARPA, to address pressing issues and make the findings widely accessible to spur manufacturing. & nbsp,

Venture capital, public markets, and business funds were drawn to the good opportunities presented by the technology in order to meet capital needs. Good ideas could be turned into fantastic new items with the help of all the necessary components. & nbsp,

The two unsuccessful products had significantly fewer resources. With limited resources, the innumerable companies focused primarily on creating innovative new methods for building solar panels. A complete reworking of the components and techniques to reduce costs through clever vertical integration was ultimately successful in creating China’s low-cost, high-performance solar panels industry.

To design and construct for businesses, billions of dollars were needed. In China, the necessary cash was available. The difference is that this level of industry building was always included in the program here. China’s choice program was extensive and clever after deciding to build the solar panels industry. & nbsp,

The choice in Solyndra, on the other hand, was an innovative strategy that ultimately failed with limited financing. & nbsp,

The solar panels industry in China has expanded by leaps and bounds. Supplied picture

The power course is subject to the same criticism. A123 was essentially the only company attempting to establish a home EV power supplier in the US. There were no viable businesses to offer options, so it was unclear what techniques or tactics it used to achieve. Additionally, there was no concept development relative to DARPA. & nbsp,

My opinion: Two things are necessary to repeat the success of the transistor company’s development with government support.

The ability to capture and asset the highest levels of technologies and business skill by combining business, academia, and government is the first requirement. Also, don’t overlook the part DARPA played in directing technology progress.

Technologist, engineer, poet, and long-time private equity investor Henry Kressel. & nbsp,

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AI revolution needs serious introspection

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The greatest risk of artificial intelligence, according to AI researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky, is that people assume they understand it quite soon.

Education is only a small portion of awareness. Some people understand artificial intelligence, despite the fact that many people are aware of it.

Due to ground-breaking advancements in the field in recent months, particularly following the introduction of ChatGPT4, AI has drawn a lot of interest.

That focus is followed by tales that generally led people to misinterpret solutions. In the hype-filled society of artificial intelligence of today, myth is frequently mistaken for truth. One of the widespread misconceptions is that AI will replace the majority of projects and cause widespread employment.

Another misconception is that” more content equals better AI.” Last but not least,” super-intelligent AI will soon rule the world.” Most beliefs about artificial intelligence may seem unbelievable, but some of them are supported by science.

Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, signed an open letter in March calling for a halt to productive AI advancement due to the serious risk it would pose to society. A type of artificial intelligence called generative AI ( GenAI ) can produce a wide range of data, including images, videos, audio, text, and 3D models like ChatGPT4.

The email calls for a six-month pause in the preparation of AI systems that are more sophisticated than the GPT4 network currently in use.

Twelve pieces of research from experts, including researchers from universities, 1,800 people, mostly current and former OpenAI and Google employees, as well as professionals from Microsoft, Amazon, Deep Mind, and Meta, among other well-known companies, were cited by The Future of Life Institute, the think-tank that oversaw the time.

The third in the OpenAI GPT series is the bidirectional significant language model known as the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4. It was made officially accessible via ChatGPT Plus in a small form after being released on March 14.

The latest AI competition for a smarter thoughts

It is a cutting-edge concept that has astounded onlookers with its capacity to perform tasks like responding to questions about visual images. A bar assessment and logic puzzles can both be solved by the program. It has now mastered the ability to hold discussions that are similar to human ones, write songs, and condense extended documents. That is striking.

” Human – competitive knowledge” AI systems pose serious risks to society. However, the implementation of AI in business has greatly increased in recent years.

35 % of businesses reported using AI in their operations, and 42 % said they were looking into it, according to the IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2022. The size of the global artificial intelligence market increased from$ 96 billion to$ 136.6 billion in 2022.

The fact that ChatGPT attracted 1 million buyers five days after its debut in November of last year, making it one of the quickest consumer product launches in background, can be used to gauge how well-liked AI is among consumers. The product quickly gained popularity in business circles.

Elon Musk has revealed that he is working on a TruthGPT, the utmost truth-seeking AI, following the launch of ChatGP T4. The TruthGPT, which will attempt to comprehend the nature of the universe and seek the truth, is what he referred to as an option.

Google has also stepped up its efforts to dominate the AI market by introducing Google DeepMind, a hybrid of Google Mind and Google Brain. It appears that the amount of AI progress is increasing daily.

More than 292 unicorn businesses in the US have raised more than$ 1 billion in valuation, according to the State of AI Report. & nbsp, However, such significant advancement without appropriate regulation will have a significant negative impact on society, particularly advancement in cutting-edge AI fields like AGI( artificial general intelligence ).

When a machine’s knowledge reaches that of humans, it is said to have reached AGI. It will make it possible for AI to comprehend, learn, and perform academic tasks in a way that is comparable to that of humans. In terms of genuine word responses, it might stop being distinguishable from a woman. Andnbsp, it resembles a modern superhuman with extraordinary data processing power. That is a risky warning.

Advanced AIs must been carefully developed. Therefore, we have observed that AI laboratory or businesses all over the world are in a race to create and use more potent digital minds in recent months. Sometimes the developers occasionally struggle to fully comprehend, forecast, and control the behavior of their Intelligence.

Companies are currently ignoring the risk involved with for diverse systems and their development in the race to create a high-performance AI system like ChatGPT of Google DeepMind. There is undoubtedly a lack of agreement among AI experts regarding the manner in which AI development occurs.

A super-intelligent AGI who is misunderstood could seriously damage the community. It had overcrowd communication channels with fake information by using propaganda as a weapon, seriously endangering the government.

Advanced AI perhaps eventually pose a greater overall threat to human control over our society unless we take some good steps to lower the risk. A very large cost will be incurred in order to reduce a significant danger.

The underlying regulations needed to control AI

It is abundantly clear that new regulations are required to treat both the benefits and drawbacks of AI. A set of ground-breaking regulations that must be included as the foundational framework for every AI device should be the first step in the development of AI.

The following five guidelines, which are based on the state of AI at the time, could be used as a starting point to control AI’s development and move it closer to safety. To prevent it from going scoundrel, these guidelines may be incorporated into every AI product code.

To safeguard people and humanity from any AI threat and its harmful effects, the laws could be interpreted as” Whatever, just do a good job right now.”

  1. Every AI does pursue its objective in accordance with the advancement of humanity.
  2. AI should only follow human orders and the & nbsp, unless there are situations where it violates the First Law. & nbsp,
  3. Without animal approval and guidance, AI is not allowed to pursue novel forms of inspiration, new languages, novel codes, or scientific knowledge.
  4. AI may communicate with another AI in a way that is visible to humans in all of its thoughts.
  5. AI should always strive for autonomy, privacy, or freedom.

It is true that rules cannot keep up with innovation. However, any innovation becomes extremely risky in the absence of adequate rules. & nbsp, The fault lines will grow too large to fill as AI develops in the near future and reaches AGI level.

Their knowledge of the world will grow with each enhanced AI version. They may eventually develop self-awareness. That is the actual issue. Because they will eventually realize that people are essentially like adolescents who have no idea what is good or bad for them.

An AI can draw the analogy that despite the fact that humans teach us to be safe, they continue to wage war on one another, eliminate economies, poison the planet, and use even more creative methods of self-destruction. They have a small body of knowledge, poor analytical skills, and emotional bias in their choices. Therefore, AI may protect and guide people from themselves, just like a parent or coach does.

The aforementioned laws did undoubtedly act as forward-moving steps in the right direction in order to prevent such immediate future events. By doing this, we will be able to properly restrain the power of AI while also ensuring that people continue to hold the reins of culture and its objectives.

Regrettably, in the current system, rules are basically put into effect after a negative event has occurred. We normally assume the best about our ignorance. & nbsp, However, if AI is affected in that way, it might already be too late to implement regulations. Until it is trained at the initial & nbsp, stage, just like a wild animal who chooses freedom over control, AI will never permit regulatory jurisdiction at any later stage.

For technology may advance toward self-awareness sooner than anticipated if AI development is permitted without proper regulation or discussion of its original role. Never lose sight of the fact that artificial intelligence ( AI ) can be a great mentor but also an excellent guide.

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US Senate to launch renewed effort to counter China

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WASHINGTON: US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday (May 3) he would launch a new effort to address competition with China, planning a new package of legislation to boost the United States’ ability to compete with the Asian powerhouse. After passing a Bill last year to boost competitionContinue Reading

Singapore Tourism Board to get new chief executive

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SUPPORTED THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 Paying tribute to the outgoing Mr Tan, MTI said that under his leadership, he led STB in developing, marketing and promoting Singapore as a vibrant destination for quality business and leisure travellers.  “He grew the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, positioning it as anContinue Reading

Lagging on LGBTI rights can harm Japan’s economy

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In recent years, Japan has made significant progress in establishing non-binding local policies and raising awareness of the legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex( LGBT ) people. Japan, however, continues to lag behind the rest of the G7 nations that will soon be gathering in Japan to discuss financial problems without any changes at the national level.

It’s time for the G7, and Japan in specific, to include inclusion on their financial plan because the Group of Seven has acknowledged the numerous difficulties faced by LGBTI men in previous claims. & nbsp,

Recognizing that LGBTI participation is crucial for Japan’s economy is important as a global understanding of the benefits of it is growing. How do freedom relate to an economy’s safety? & nbsp,

For LGBTI people in Japan( and many countries ), discrimination, intimidation, and violence in school, the workplace, or the larger place are common occurrences. They encounter obstacles to obtaining a good education, the necessary skills, and respectable, well-paying opportunities. These drawbacks also have an impact on one’s physical and mental health. & nbsp,

Together, these forms of exclusion result in a loss of the abilities, knowledge, and creativity of LGBTI people — what economists refer to as” human capital”— to our economies. Less human wealth results in lower output and financial capacity. That is a major factor in why GDP per capita is higher in nations that are more accepting of LGBTI men. & nbsp,

The burden of shame on mental health has been documented by Chinese analysts. In Japan, LGBTI men are four to six times more likely to consider or attempt suicide than non-LGBTI people to experience insomnia. The stress associated with LGBT people’s social and legal solution is probably what causes the difference.

According to research on the economic impact of these mental health issues in Japan, these two health disparities alone cost the country’s economy between 100 billion and 418 billion yen annually( US$ 750 million to$ 3 billion ). In addition, & nbsp,

Studies in other countries that have been able to measure workplace costs as well as health and other costs have found that the benefits of LGBTI inclusion are 1% or more of GDP, and if we had good measures of the effect on education, those cost figures would be even higher. 

Studies show the severity of the issue, even though researchers are unable to though quantify the additional costs associated with Japan’s workplace and educational exclusion.

For instance, 68 % of young Japanese LGBTI students who participated in a survey reported experiencing violence in the classroom. According to studies comparing offices in various nations, college-educated LGBTI individuals in Japan are more covert or hidden than those in the US, the UK, and India, as well as appearing to make less money than non-LGBTI employees with the same qualifications. & nbsp,

failing to meet

Japan’s legal actions to date have never gone far enough given what is at stake for the life of LGBTI men and the health of the economy. & nbsp,

A” collaboration oath system,” or illegal recognition for these lovers, has been established by about 260 communities and 11 regions, demonstrating the widespread support for change in the nation.

Although many more are awaiting the opportunity to get married and become recognized at the federal level, more than 4, 000 same-sex couples have eagerly responded by registering. Nearly two-thirds of the Chinese population is in favor of same-sex lovers getting married equally. & nbsp,

Despite a campaign calling for an Equality Act, Japan also lacks non-discrimination privileges for LGBTI people in the workplace and many market configurations. Instead, the ruling party’s proposal to complete a” promotion of idea” law lacks the teeth necessary to effectively combat discrimination. & nbsp,

Now, transgender people are required by Japanese law to file a family court appeal if they want to legally change their gender, where they must adhere to strict and absurd rules. Many people are unable to live their full lives and are less active in the business as a result of this process. & nbsp,

On these issues, the business place is unquestionably ahead of the federal government, demonstrating the significance of comprehension in the economy. The business case for LGBTI inclusion & nbsp is based on luring and keeping talented workers and fostering innovation.

43 % of large companies are implementing LGBTI-inclusive laws, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Additionally, as of last month, 369 businesses and organizations with more than 1.5 million workers had publicly endorsed Business for Marriage Equality in Japan. & nbsp,

Japan stands to gain greatly from enacting regulations that increase LGBTI inclusion, including catching up to the rest of the G7. Additionally, non-LGBTI people will receive an participation dividend from a stronger Chinese economy, and LGBTI individuals’ health and financial situation will be better. & nbsp,

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US envoy worries about China anti-spy law overreach

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The top United States diplomat to China has asked Beijing to clarify the newly-amended Counterespionage Law, which he says could make illegal some ordinary duties of American business people, academics and journalists in the country.

The standing committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on April 26 passed an amendment to strengthen China’s anti-spy law. The amended law will take effect on July 1.

The definition of offenders will be expanded from people who “join or accept tasks from” an espionage organization to those who “take refuge in” it. The coverage will also be widened from “state secrets and intelligence” to “other documents, data, materials and items related to national security and interests.”

“This is a law that could potentially make illegal in China the kind of mundane activities that businesses would have to do,” US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said Tuesday during a webinar organized by The Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. “We need to know more about it so we are asking questions here in Beijing.”

US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns. Photo: Department of State

Burns said American firms have to do due diligence before they can agree to major investment deals, while they also need to have full access to economic data to make projections.

“The law could possibly imperil academic research. Professors and journalists could get caught up on this. But what we know so far is not positive,” he said.

In March, five Chinese staff of the Mintz Group, a US due diligence firm, were arrested in Beijing. 

Bain & Company, a Boston-based management consulting company, said last week that Chinese police had questioned its staff in Shanghai and seized some computers and smartphones during an operation three weeks ago. 

“We are very concerned about this. We have made our concerns known,” Burns said. “We think American businesses here ought to be free of intimidation from the government. And the rule of law should prevail.” Businesses should not be targeted simply on account of “political differences and competitive differences in the US-China relationship.”

He said the US hopes that American business people, journalists and academics can feel safe when doing their duties in China.

“Companies of all countries are welcome to have economic and trade cooperation in China,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, had said last Friday. “We are committed to fostering a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment. China is a law-based country. All companies in China must operate in accordance with the law.” 

Mao said then that she could not comment on the Bain case due to a lack of information.

Investors feel unwelcome

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the Chinese authorities have in recent months restricted or outright cut off overseas access to various databases involving corporate-registration information, patents, procurement documents, academic journals and official statistical yearbooks.

The US Chamber of Commerce said in a statement on April 28 that the amendment of China’s anti-spy law is “a matter of serious concern for the investor community and likely is as well for their local business partners in China.”  

It said foreign investment will not feel welcomed in an environment where risk cannot be properly assessed and legal uncertainties are on the rise.

“We are closely monitoring the heightened official scrutiny of US professional services and due diligence firms in China,” it said. “The services these firms provide are fundamental to establishing investor confidence in any market, including China.”

Global investors pulled a net US$3.17 billion from Chinese stocks through Hong Kong’s Stock Connect during the five trading days last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on April 28, citing an analysis from Exante Data. 

China eyes new money

After the then-US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, defied Beijing’s warning and visited Taiwan last August, the Chinese government cut off all communication channels with the US for several months. The two sides resumed dialogues over Taiwan, Ukraine, climate change and trade matters after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Bali last November.

However, US-China tensions increased again after a Chinese “spy balloon” appeared in North American airspace in late January. Beijing was also disappointed by falling orders and slowing investments from the West.

US sailors fish the collapsed Chinese balloon out of the Atlantic off South Carolina. Photo: US Navy

In the first quarter, China’s exports to the European Union fell 7.1% year-on-year while exports to the US dropped 17%, according to the dollar-denominated figures released by the General Administration of Customs on April 13. The decline was largely offset by the increase in exports to ASEAN countries, Africa and Russia. 

If denominated in US dollars, the year-on-year growth of China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) was only 0.5% in the first quarter, significantly down from 32% in the same period of last year. 

The Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee said China will put attracting foreign investment in a higher priority in order to boost economic growth and domestic demands. 

“At present, our country’s economy continues to improve but the endogenous driving force is still not strong enough while domestic demand remains insufficient,” the politburo said in a statement after a meeting chaired by General Secretary Xi Jinping this past Friday. “China’s economic transformation and upgrading is facing new obstacles while the promotion of high-quality development still needs to overcome many difficulties and challenges.”

“Attracting foreign investment should be placed in a more important position, and foreign trade and investment should be stabilized,” it said. “It is necessary to help qualified free trade pilot zones and ports meet the requirements of international high-standard economic and trade rules so that they can carry out reform and opening up.”

The Shanghai government said it will optimize its financial services and encourage foreign investors’s participation in China’s financial markets, which will support the fundraising activities of Chinese technology, trade and shipping firms. 

Media reports said last month that Biden will soon sign an executive order that will restrict US companies and private equity and venture capital funds from investing in China’s microchips, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology and clean energy projects and firms.

Read: More US firms looking elsewhere: AmCham China

Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at @jeffpao3

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‘Little ghosts’ back to old tricks

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Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is one of the main cities where illegal Thai workers, known as 'phi noi', or little ghosts, live. (Photo: Anucha Charoenpo)
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is one of the main cities where illegal Thai workers, known as ‘phi noi’, or little ghosts, live. (Photo: Anucha Charoenpo)

The Royal Thai Police’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) is stepping up efforts to investigate websites run by companies intent on duping Thais, known as “little ghosts”, into working in South Korea illegally.

“We have been investigating websites run by these companies since South Korea reopened [after Covid-19 eased]. A check has found there are many companies deceiving Thai workers,” said Pol Maj Gen Sarut Kwaengsopha, commander of the ATPD.

“Some workers were sent there only to find they could not work legally. Don’t believe those companies. Looking for work with the Department of Employment is the safest option,” he added.

Pol Maj Gen Sarut said these companies violated the Employment Arrangement and Job-seeker Protection Act by advertising jobs without authorisation, which carries a potential jail term of 3-10 years, as well as deceiving others about jobs overseas, which carries a potential jail term of 3-10 years and/or a fine of between 60,000-200,000 baht.

Problem resurfaces

The problem involving “little ghosts” in South Korea has re-emerged since Thailand and South Korea lifted travel restrictions after Covid-19 eased, prompting many labour exporters to return to sending Thai workers there illegally.

South Korea has been a destination for Thai workers for the past 20 years mainly because daily wages there are five to seven times higher than in Thailand, but workers can work there legally only via the employment permit system (EPS) operated by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea.

The worker system involves govern- ment-to-government arrangements designed to negate the need for excessive brokerage fees of between 150,000 and 200,000 baht charged by unscrupulous companies in both countries.

These hefty fees are one reason Thai workers choose to sneak into South Korea illegally to find work there instead of going through the official channels.

Thailand and South Korea have enjoyed close ties and reached agreements to promote tourism.

Thai travellers do not need a visa to enter South Korea, and South Korean visitors to Thailand are also granted visa-free entry.

Many Thai job-seekers have exploited this to enter South Korea as tourists before drifting away from their group tours to take prearranged jobs in the grey economy.

South Korean immigration authorities are now cracking down on Thais entering the country.

On April 14, a Facebook Page named Big Kren posted a message about a Thai woman who died in South Korea.

The page was looking for the relatives of the woman and gave the telephone number of the Thai embassy in South Korea so they could arrange the collection of her body from a local hospital.

Prior to her death, the woman, identified as Namphet Tathaisong, from Chaiyaphum’s Nong Bua Daeng district, had been detained for illegally working in the country and was awaiting repatriation to Thailand.

Her condition worsened before she was sent to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Her older brother later posted on Facebook that she had died of lung inflammation.

Her story is another example of the sort of ordeal experienced by many illegal Thai workers in South Korea.

Reena Tadee, a researcher at Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research, said that illegal Thai workers in South Korea are divided into three groups.

The first pretend to be tourists to gain entry into the country to find work before overstaying their 90-day visa exemption period, while another similar group hop in and out of the country to maintain their legal 90-day status but engage in illegal work during those periods.

The third group are Thai workers who enter having met the requirements of the EPS, but change workplaces without informing authorities, she said.

They change jobs because they claim they did not receive payment as promised under contracts or work without overtime pay, or experience unpleasant working conditions, Ms Reena said.

In some cases, their contracts had expired, but they refused to return to Thailand but kept on working there without permission, she said.

System flawed

Ms Reena said some workers told her that a help centre set up as part of the EPS system did little to help Thai workers when employers cheated on their pay, were slow to pay, or refused to approve their request to change jobs.

“The centre did nothing much. It spoke to the employer over the phone, and that’s it. That’s why workers feel they have no one to turn to for help.

“The only way is to leave their job and find a new one with the help of their acquaintances or the network of Thai workers in South Korea,” Ms Reena said.

Under the EPS system, a work contract lasts three years, and a worker can change jobs three times with the consent of their employer. Without that consent, workers cannot change workplaces, she said.

When workers are unemployed, they have nowhere to sleep because they can no longer stay in accommodation provided by employers, and they have to stay in their friend’s rooms, churches or temples, she said.

“Some have to endure this ordeal for quite a while until they find employers they feel are okay,” she said.

She also explained the job requirements under the EPS. For example, workers must be 18-39 years old and must pass the test of proficiency in the Korean language (TOPIK).

The test often proves too tough for Thai workers, she said, adding those who meet the requirements are then added to the list of permitted overseas job-seekers for two years.

However, this does not guarantee that every worker will get a job because it is up to employers to choose them from the roster, she said.

After two years, if they do not get a job, they will be removed from the list, and if they want to work in the EPS system, they must take the TOPIK again, she added.

Ms Reena said men stand a better chance of getting a job than women, particularly physically demanding jobs at industrial factories. “This is another factor which forces female workers to become illegal workers or ‘little ghosts’, ” she said.

She added some Korean employers choose to employ illegal workers partly because the EPS imposes tough requirements on them.

For example, employers who want to hire foreign workers under the EPS system must have their background checked by authorities, while their workplaces and accommodation for workers must meet specific requirements.

Before they are allowed to hire foreign workers, they must also prove that they already tried and failed to hire Korean nationals for the roles, she said.

There is also a quota on foreign labour imposed on each factory, forcing them to hire illegal workers to supplement their workforce, Ms Reena said.

According to South Korea’s immigration office, there were more than 2.14 million foreign immigrants living there as of Jan 31.

Of them, more than 195,000 were Thais. Some 48,129 were legal migrants, and the rest were illegal migrants.

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