Four stranded workers return from Thailand

Bhubaneswar: Fourof the six Odia workers, stranded in Thailand, returned to Odisha on Saturday after the State government took steps to rescue them from the Southeast Asian country, an official statement said. The Directorate of Odisha Paribar under the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department, said that immediate measures were taken based on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to ensure the rescue of the six Odia people from Thailand.

“Four of them returned to the State. Two others are still in Thailand over certain visa problems. Efforts are on to bring them back,” an official said. The four persons, who returned to Odisha are Jayanta Kumar Mallick, Hemanta Kumar Behera, Manaranjan Sahu and Bijay Kumar Swain. The six persons, who hail from Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts, had travelled to Thailand in August 2025 to work in a plywood company and got stranded there.

Later, they alleged that the company owner had not paid their wages, for which they were facing financial hardships. They had appealed to the Odisha government, through social media posts, to intervene and ensure their safe return.

Responding to their plea, the State government launched a coordinated effort, involving the Ministry of External Affairs, Office of the Chief Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, the Directorate of Odisha Paribar, the Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Department and the district administrations of Kendrapara and Bhadrak.

“Through the joint efforts, four of the stranded youths have now been repatriated,” the official said.