As with the previous drug crackdown operations by the Thalang District Office, the raids were carried out under the name of Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, with support from Phuket Vice Governor Adul Chuthong.
Locally responsible for the raids were Thalang District Chief Siwat Rawangkun and Thalang District Office Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Thiraphong Chuaychu.
Present to enforce the raids were personnel from Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) and the pa khlok unit of the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor).
Actual officials present to check the migrant workers for drugs and confirm their legal status were officers from the Phuket Provincial Employment Office and the local health officials.
Local community leaders were present to look on.
As with all raids in the current anti-drug campaign by the Thalang District Office, no police were present for the raid.
About 130 migrant workers were present across the four camps in Moo 2, Pa Khlok, the Thalang District office reported.
Authorities reportedly conducted “random checks” of 40 individuals, which included disease screenings and urine drug tests.
Six workers tested positive for drug use. No illegal substances or unauthorized items were found during the broader inspection, the Thalang District Office admitted.
Officials recorded the findings and apparently notified the workers’ employers. A follow-up investigation is now underway to identify and locate the individuals supplying drugs to the camps, the Thlang District Office said in its report.
To make the ongoing raids more palatable to the public, the Thalang District Office repeated its mantra that while at the camps the officers also assessed the living conditions, building safety, hygiene and compliance with labour camp regulations set by Thalang District Office.
Oddly, despite similar raids at migrant worker camps throughout Thalang District, the Thalang District Office in its current campaign has still yet to report any specific illegalities or irregularities, or any breach of any legally required conditions by migrant worker employers.
The report of the raids of the migrant worker camps in Pa Khlok, as with the previous raids, said that “recommendations were made to improve standards, and local village headmen and subdistrict officials were instructed to increase monitoring and oversight of the camps”.