She is looking to apply for a farming job as it might increase her chances of being recruited. “I heard Korean factories do not usually recruit female workers, even though a job at a farm pays less,” she said.

Informed by the stories and experiences of thousands of Thais who have travelled to South Korea to work in recent years, Sureerat spent her free time collecting as much information as possible from online sources on how and where to find work in the country.

Sureerat also read stories on those who have been exploited by employers, scammed by job agents or lured into prostitution.

She is joining the EPS in hopes it would guarantee her the work benefits, an insurance and a legitimate way to live and work in South Korea.

“I have been asked by a relative to overstay to work, but I refused. She went there as a tourist last year and has been sending money home regularly,” Sureerat said. “But she warned me to be prepared. Things will not go as planned there.”

Thai workers are one of the largest migrant communities in South Korea. Of the 165,000 Thais who live in the country, more than 143,000 are illegal workers, the Thai labour ministry said at a press conference in April.

Known colloquially as Pee Noi, or “little ghosts”, Thai illegal workers have for years exploited the visa waiver between the two nations. The terminology possibly suggests their “disappearance” after their 90-day tourist visa expires.

Don Tarajaroensuk, who has studied the topic of Thai migrant workers at South Korea’s Chonnam National University, said a worker shortage, social bias against labour-intensive work and brain drain among young South Koreans have allowed workers from countries in Southeast Asia, China or Central Asia to find jobs in auto-parts or electronics factories, as well as in the agricultural sector.

Don said he interviewed a man who reeked of chemicals used at a farm where he worked, but he never had a check-up because “the employer refused to take him to the hospital”.

South Korea has stepped up measures to tackle the issue of illegal workers. In April, local media reported that a few hundred Thais were denied entry to South Korea on a single flight. The Thai foreign affairs ministry played down the report, citing a high number of Thai tourists taking holidays there.

South Korea also introduced an amnesty for illegal workers to return to their countries voluntarily, but the high demand among Thais to work the blue-collar jobs there continues.

Social media plays a major part in encouraging and connecting Thais to job prospects in South Korea.

By searching “work in Korea” on Facebook in Thai, hundreds of job posts appear. One post says: “Transfer 35,000 baht 7-10 days before travelling will guarantee you the job and training for you to handle an immigration interview.”

Some jobs posted include positions at a mushroom farm, a cattle farm and a plastic factory, with a monthly salary of 1.4 million to 1.6 million won (US$1,200-1,380), two days off a month, free food during working hours and free accommodation on offer.

An administrator of a Facebook account that posted the job ads declined to speak to the Post.

Researcher Don said Thai workers are willing to take the risk because they could earn more, even if they have to work harder than if they were in Thailand.

“Workers earn between 1.2 and 2 million won a month, depending on the job contract and work hours. It also depends on how the job brokers deal with the employees.”

He added: “Some are aware of this and still choose the illegal approach because they are too old to join the EPS or they cannot wait to retake the exam, after failing, because they have a deadline to pay back debts.”

The Thai labour ministry is seeking to more than double the EPS quota from 5,000 workers a year to 15,000. It is also asking for the age limit of workers to be raised from the current 39 years to 45.

In the meantime, “many previous workers have become job agents themselves. They see this as helping, not exploiting, fellow Thais”, said Don.

There is also a high demand of workers among South Korean employers, he said. “Many Korean employers don’t care about visa status.”

Local businesses also benefit. “Foreign workers’ communities help sustain local groceries, barber shops, restaurants, banks, and so on. Both sides fill the gaps for one another.”

The researcher said the Thai community of workers in South Korea have formed a network to help each other out, even when there is a 24-hour hotline provided by the labour ministry to ensure workers get help.

“They usually meet at a Thai restaurant or on Facebook. There was a case where a Thai worker posted on his Facebook page calling for help as his employer missed giving him the pay cheques and other Thai workers who saw the post helped by arranging a car to pick him up from where he worked so he could escape and find a new job.”

Don admits Pee Noi have taken advantage of the South Korea’s visa waiver but “job migration is not self-generated but borne out of a political and economic context.

“Without addressing the root cause of poverty, lack of education and inequality, this trend will continue for a long time,” the researcher said.

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