Twenty Nepalis rescued from Thailand

Kathmandu, Mar. 8

The Nepali Embassy in Bangkok on Friday repatriated 20 Nepali citizens who were stranded in Thailand after being lured with promises of lucrative jobs.

"They had been taken to Thailand via New Delhi, India, on 24 January 2025, only to be abandoned upon arrival," said the Embassy in a statement.

The rescue operation was completed on Friday with their safe return to Nepal.

The embassy has urged all Nepali citizens to seek foreign employment only through proper channels by obtaining labour approval as per the regulations set by the Government of Nepal.

It has also warned against falling for fraudulent job offers that promise quick and high earnings in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, as such employment opportunities often violate legal provisions.

Likewise, the Embassy has appealed to the media and civil society to help disseminate such messages and raise awareness to prevent more Nepalis from becoming victims of such scams.

The Embassy has been continuously repatriating Nepali citizens stranded in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In December last year it repatriated five Nepalis while in March last year, 13 Nepalis who were stranded at the Myanmar-Thailand border were sent back home safely.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal (MoFA) and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) have issued multiple travel advisories urging Nepalis preparing to go to Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to exhibit extra cautions.

The human traffickers have been taking Nepalis to Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos through Thailand with a promise of high-income jobs in various private sector companies, casinos and digital marketing institutions. Many of such victims were also forced to do illegal work while some have also been kept captive.

According to the ministries, foreign nationals visiting these countries with 'tourist visas' are not allowed to work there, and they are not open for Nepali nationals for foreign employment. If anyone promises employment for Nepali people in these countries, it is legally punishable.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 9 March 2025.