16 Pinoy seafarers rescued from abandoned freighter in Thailand

Thai authorities on Tuesday rescued 16 Filipino crew members stranded on board a Liberia-registered freighter after they were allegedly abandoned by their company, a report on Thai PBS said.
According to the crew members rescued from the freighter Panomitis, which was anchored off Si Chang island in Chon Buri, they had not been paid for several months and had ran out of food and drinking water.
They said they were surviving on provisions from a non-governmental organization when they were rescued by officials from the Royal Thai Navy, the marine police, immigration, and labor departments.
Police Maj-Gen. Kraiboon Suadsong, a staff member of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, said they would investigate whether the Filipino sailors were victims of human trafficking or not.
Suadsong noted that the vessel's arrival to Thailand was not reported to immigration.
The Philippine Embassy in Bangkok will be informed of the report to arrange aid for the Filipino sailors. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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