Work and travel programmes offer much, but it's not all plain sailing

Story by KLOYKAMOL SIRIBHAKDI

When Kwanmanas Benya-apikul, a graduate from Silpakorn University, joined a summer work and travel programme, she imagined an exciting and adventurous experience lay ahead for her. Instead, she learned that the job she expected was not available and found that her working conditions were poor.

"Frankly, we were treated like illegal or smuggled labour," she said.

Work and travel programmes offer university students a chance to work at temporary jobs over the summer holiday, and the opportunity to travel around a foreign country for a month before returning home.

"It's part of globalisation and Westernisation. People want to see and experience other parts of the world," said Thanyaporn Chantaravech, whose thesis at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, was entitled Life in a Cross Cultural Exchange Programme: Globalisation in the Experiences of Thai Youth.

According to her book, Work and Travel, a Naive Risk: The Investigation of Labour Tourism, an expanded version of her thesis, such programmes offering trips to the US are part of the Exchange Visitor Programme started by the US' Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. The act is aimed at promoting cultural exchanges and allowing foreign students to experience life in the US.

Although it sounds ideal for those who seek a challenge at affordable cost (about 120,000 baht, including placement fee, visa application and flights), many think it is a kind of trade in cheap labour.

"Looking at it pessimistically, the US seems to get more advantages. They get quality labour at a low price," said Thanyaporn.

Such programmes were introduced to Thailand in 1997, and have gained in popularity over the last five years. Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 students now choose to spend their summers this way.

Some find the experience rewarding, but others find themselves in unbearable situations and treated unfairly. Being under-paid, over-worked and stuck with non-negotiable conditions are some of the problems commonly reported.

In one case, tragically, a student working at a fun fair was accidentally hit by one of the rides and killed. His employer refused to take responsibility, blaming the victim for not performing his job properly.

And when troubles like this occur students often find themselves with no one to turn to.

"Often the '24 hour' hot line offered by the agency in Thailand can't be reached, or if you do manage to get through, they usually suggest we just keep doing the job," revealed Kwanmanas. "We are left all alone, with only ourselves and friends to turn to."

Thanyaporn says that the problem stems from the management of the system. The US Department of State's Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation controls the private exchange organisations in the US which cooperate with those in Thailand. The Thai agencies' task is to find participants and arrange for visa applications and other paperwork. They have no ability or responsibility to oversee the jobs offered to participants once they are on US soil.

"Now, basically, the programme is under the control of only US law and the US government seems to care more about national security. When programme participants enter the country, they must be registered at the department of Homeland Security so that their whereabouts can be tracked. If anyone loses their passport, they will be sent home immediately."

But what about the responsibility of the organisations involved? Who will see that justice is done and compensation paid for students who are cheated or, even worse, killed? Unfortunately, there is no government section controlling such programmes so far.

"Such programmes are ambiguous. They overlap between education, work and even travel," said Saree Ongsomwang from the Foundation for Consumers.

"That makes it difficult to find anyone who has the authority to solve problems or control the quality. Work and travel programme organisers are not registered as labour agencies, so, victims cannot file lawsuits because there is no applicable law," said Supat Kukhun, an official from the Ministry of Labour.

However, disappointing experiences may also be the result of an individual's misconceptions or overly high expectations.

"Many participants misunderstand the concept and reality of the programmes," said Thanyaporn. "They receive distorted information, sometimes from misleading advertisements."

Some agencies warn students about the hard working conditions, but due to lack of experience, especially among Thai youth who are accustomed to being pampered, they cannot imagine what the reality will be like.

"Most of us think joining the programme will be like a social activity and travelling with friends," Kwanmanas admitted.

Participants from other nations, such as the Philippines and Poland, Thanyaporn said, tend to perceive the programme more realistically. They know what they will encounter and acknowledge that this is a labour-intensive job.

Culture shock is another factor that makes life there difficult. An unfamiliar working culture that stresses discipline and hard work can cause problems for the easy-going Thai nature. Some find themselves being fired for what they see as a trivial mistake that employers, on the other hand, take much more seriously.

Meanwhile, the polite, submissive character that many Westerners admire can also be a weakness. They dare not raise problems or mention their dissatisfaction.

"In my opinion, Thai students are hard-working but not assertive," commented Uraiwan Panthong, who took part in such a programme last year.

When facing difficulties, Thanyaporn says in her book, Thai youth are likely to blame it on luck. Problems are viewed individually and thus rarely reach a solution at policy level.

To cope with these issues, Thanyaporn suggests training and orientation to provide practical and accurate information for prospective participants.

Despite the drawbacks, Thanyaporn, who also joined a programme and enjoyed a satisfactory experience, thinks work and travel programmes are worth trying if there is an effective system of controls and close monitoring by governmental divisions.

"This thesis only prompts awareness of these programmes. To seriously push the agenda to policy level, much more study must be done," she added.

For those who are still willing to take the risk, here is some advice from Thanyaporn: "Ask yourself why you want to join such a programme, and whether you are ready to handle unexpected things. Try to choose a reliable agency and find out as much information as you can first."