Friday, January 13, 2006

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES HOPE TO BE 'HOME AWAY FROM HOME' FOR THAIS

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) Christian churches around Taiwan are working together in an attempt to give Thai workers comfort and peace of mind over the Chinese New Year holiday, a staff member of a Christian church said Thursday.

Friends of Thai Workers Church (FTWC) , which is located in Taoyuan County, is a part of a network of Christian churches that try to "make all Thai workers feel at home" by proselytizing, organizing events, providing consultation and orientation and helping them to deal with different problems in life, said Wu Ching-hua, the only full-time staff of the FTWC. The vast majority of Thai people are Buddhist.

"It's hard for most people to understand the pressure and depression of Thai workers, who are so far away from home for a long period of time, " said Wu, who has a Taiwanese father and a Thai mother and has been living in Taiwan for 20 years.

That's why FTWC is organizing a sight-seeing tour to Taichung City during the Chinese New Year break. "We hope it can help them to relax and enjoy a rare vacation after a year of hard work, " Wu said. About 200 Thai workers are expected to join the tour.

FTWC also organizes singing competitions from time to time. "Thai people love singing, " Wu claimed. Various get togethers are also held on Thai holidays like Songkran Festival (Thailand's New Year) , the birthday of the queen and the birthday of the king, as well as Christmas.

FTWC and pastors from different churches in Chiayi and Hualien have formed a network that offers help to each other when needed.

But there's only so much a church can do, Wu said. "The biggest problem for Thai workers is being overcharged by manpower agencies for placement fees, which amounts to as high as NT$200,000, " Wu said. "The authorities know it, but the problem remains."

"Being overcharged means a Thai worker will have to pay almost all his salary for the first year -- sometimes the first year and a half -- to the agencies, " Wu added. "It's where their frustration comes from and why you see a lot of them have drinking problems and even commit crimes."

Over 60 Thai workers are serving sentences in Taipei Prison, where FTWC provides counselling services.

"We are short of Bibles and we also need desktop computers and projectors as FTWC wants to launch a computer program for Thai workers. As a small church, we need help from funding to personnel, " Wu said.