A study on socioeconomic status of the Thai employee working abroad.

Descriptive epidemiology was applied to 1,000 Thai employee proposing to work abroad, during the period of February to April, 1987. 59.1% of the workers never traveled but another 40.9% experienced at least once. Mostly 92.5%, occupied within the age-group of 22-44, while the age-range was between 19-59. The male population was six times over the female, 72.4% married. Most of the worker (40.1%) lived in the North-east, rarely came from the South (0.6%). Agriculture (50.8%) was the common occupation. The previous average income was 8,794.66 Bahts per year. 92.3% of the destination was Saudi Arabia. Janpan, Iraq, Kuwait, Barhein and Singapore were respectively less popularity. Skilled labour (37.1%) was highly required for the male but house-wife (12%) for the females. The contract signed one year (28%) and two years (66%) for the period of employment. The monthly expected average income was 7,145.20 and 6,573.86 Bahts of the salary could be sent back home. Concerning the expense required from the agency, 30,000-40,000 Bahts was the sum (51.8%). Time spent for the arrangement (50.8%) was 1-4 months. 47.4% loaned from the bank, only 24.0% had their own financial support.

Epidemiological study on the health hazard of castor bean dust.

Castor bean is one of the agricultural cash crops of economic importance, the health hazards of castor bean dust that recently made headlines in the mass media alerted many governmental agencies concerned to take action. The castor oil mill started operation in 1979, at Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prokan 50 km east of Bangkok. A few months after the operation, people who lived within 2 kilometres of the mill began to develop respiratory ailments: cough, sneezing, headache, nasal blockage, wheezing, violent attacks of asthma. An epidemiological survey carried out showed that castor bean dust was the major health hazards in the villages within 2 kilometres of the castor oil mill in Phra Pradaeng. The patients suffering from asthma due to castor bean had no further attacks after closure of the factory. The study indicated that to minimize the health hazard problem, the castor bean oil mill should improve its method of collecting the castor bean pomace.