On 21 January 2025, Mr. Puwit Wisartsakul, Chargé d'Affaires a.i., and Mrs. Apijaya Wisartsakul, his spouse, together with Mr. Teerakarn Savetsila, Consul, as well as staff members of the Royal Thai Embassy in Copenhagen and spouse visited the Thai workers working on the construction of the Storstrøm Bridge in Vordingborg. This group of Thai workers, consisting of 105 people, was hired to carry out the construction project of the Storstrøm bridge connecting Zealand and Lolland in Denmark. The Embassy’s delegation was welcomed by Mr. Finn Willecke, Human Resources Business Partner, and Mr. Jesper Strand, Occupational Health and Safety Manager of Storstrøm Bridge Joint Venture I/S (SBJV I/S).
On this occasion, the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. had discussions with representatives of SBJV I/S and expressed his appreciation for taking good care of the Thai workers in which the Embassy has appointed Consul to coordinate closely with the Company's Operation, Health and Safety Manager as well as with the Thai workers, especially in the incident of a fire in a worker's accommodation in early 2024 and helping a Thai worker with health problems travel back to Thailand safely.
The Chargé d'Affaires a.i. inquired about the progress of the construction in which the company expected the construction to be completed in March - April 2025. The company is also considering the possibility of continuing to employ this group of workers to work on large construction projects in both Denmark and Sweden. The company expressed admiration for Thai workers as being a quality worker, diligent and dedicated, and that they are an important group of workers for the construction to proceed smoothly.
On this occasion, the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. and the delegation also met and talked with the Thai workers at the workers' accommodations provided by the company, inquiring about their working hours, income, and benefits as well as their wellbeing, food, accommodations and adjustments to living in Denmark. The delegation also brought along fruit juice, soft drinks, tea, coffee and cocoa to give to the Thai workers and provided useful information on consular affairs and channels of communication for the workers to reach out to the Embassy.
Storstrøm Bridge Joint Venture I\S (SBJV I\S) operates as a Joint Venture company between Danish and Italian venture capital groups. to carry out the construction project “Storstrøm Bridge” which is a bridge for a double-track electric train and a two-lane road to replace the original bridge that has been in use for more than 100 years. The project is part of Denmark's transport infrastructure development policy.