Yesterday was an emotionally filled day for seven Thai workers as they were reunited with their children in Taipei.
The children's trip was made possible under the joint sponsorship of Radio Taiwan International (RTI) and the Council of Labor Affairs.
As the families wept and exchanged flowers and gifts, some of the children said that they had not seen their parents for more than a year.
PHOTO: CNA
Foreign workers are allowed to work two three-year terms in Taiwan under current labor laws, and many do not return to their home countries during their stint.
"I wanted to go home to see my kids during my first term, but my employers wouldn't let me leave," said Khongthi Charuwan, who works as a caretaker in the country.
"They said that Grandma needed me and that she would not eat if I wasn't there to take care of her," Charuwan said.
Charuwan is now in her second term here. Her son Ketsalachai Anucha attends Sukhothai Technic College.
"I was determined not to cry, to be happy for my mother," he said, "but when I saw her, I couldn't help myself."
Echoing a common theme, Jampatong Tripet related why he left his home and family to work abroad, first in Singapore and now in Taiwan.
"My reason for working so hard is so that my daughter will get a good education and would not have to work as hard as I do," he said.
Tripet's daughter Jampatong Walinee is attending Bangkok University, where she studies computer science.
According to Jeff Chiang (江瑞 恆), executive assistant general manager of Golden Brother International, a labor brokerage, the government mandated minimum wage for foreign workers is NT$15,840 (US$479) per month, with a premium paid for workers with better qualifications.
Charuwan said she used to make the equivalent of NT$4,000 to NT$5,000 per month as a farmer in Thailand.
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RTI has been broadcasting in Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese since January this year, in conjunction with the Voice of Han broadcasting network.
"We hope that we can also hold reunions for selected Indonesian and Vietnamese workers in the future," she added.
According to the RTI, the seven Thai workers were selected based on several criteria, including employers' satisfaction with their job performance.
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