MORE THAN 100 boat captains in Trat’s Khlong Yai district found themselves out of work after authorities demanded strict screenings as part of the crackdown on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

It’s not because these trawler captains have done anything wrong, but because they are displaced people.

“I don’t have any proper document to show, even though I was born in Thailand,” Somsang Chaichan said earlier this month.

The 38-year-old Somsang said his family fled to Thailand from the civil war in Cambodia about five decades ago. Since then, his family has called Thailand home.

He said he lost the chance to earn Bt1,000 for a 10-hour shift.

“Now, I have been just a deckhand pulling in only Bt400 for 16 hours of work,” he said at a recent forum held by the National Human Rights Commission and several government agencies.

The 500 participants included local residents who have struggled with their unrecognised status.

There are about 3,500 displaced people in the district, deputy district chief Jirasak Chookeaw said, including 1,861 who are in seeking Thai citizenship.

“The process is quite slow because there are so many requests pending,” he said.

Somsang said he was worried about his finances.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to support my family,” he said, while pleading for help from authorities.

Tai Palaket, 15, who attends Khlong Yai Wittayakom School, said he wanted a national identification card because it could decide his future.

His parents were also war refugees from Cambodia but died in Thailand a few years ago, he said.

“I was born on Thai soil,” he insisted.

The orphan said he had already learned firsthand how the lack of proper papers could deprive him of opportunities and rights.

“Last month, I was denied the right to participate in an international art and handicraft contest,” he said.

He said he was anxious about his future.

“If I don’t have a ID card or belong to any citizenship, how can I continue my studies and continue my life?” he asked.

Tuenjai Deetes, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said the forum agreed that something would be done to help displaced people in the district.

“For example, we plan to recruit volunteers from Thaksin, Rangsit and Burapha universities to help the displaced people prepare applications for Thai citizenship,” she said.

A joint committee will also stage a one-stop-service fair so that stateless people can meet all the agencies they need at one place.

“We will stage the event from March 11-14 in Khlong Yai district. It should benefit more than 1,000 displaced people,” she said.