Imagine the uproar if Thai workers killed in Russia’s war were sent home in coffins. No one would have known anything. Officials would wash their hands of it, and Thai-Russian diplomatic and economic ties would be re-examined briefly, only to be forgotten again. But what if? Economic pressure and the hunt for work can push people into regrettable decisions.
Thai-language Facebook ads offering Thai men jobs as security guards at oil refineries and warehouses in Russia closely resemble job offers that rights groups say have lured foreigners into Russia’s army and onto the front lines in Ukraine.
A user on the r/Thailand forum on Reddit flagged the ads Oct. 13 after seeing one on Facebook. The user traced it through Meta’s public Ad Library to a Facebook page called “Managers HR.” The page was created in September and began running the ads Oct. 8, the user said.
The ads directed applicants to a WhatsApp number with a Russian country code. Its profile picture showed the emblem of the Russian armed forces, according to screenshots the user posted.
The user said the ad has since been taken down, but that the page and the WhatsApp number remained active.
Thaigest could not independently confirm who placed the ads or whether they are linked to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The offer fits a pattern already documented inside Russia. In July, Komersant Ukrainian reported that job ads for “security guards” to protect oil refineries, terminals and ports from drone attacks were in fact offers of Defense Ministry contracts. In August, the exiled Russian outlet Verstka found about 2,000 similar ads for warehouse guards, The Insider reported. Recruiters promised applicants they would not be sent to Ukraine.
The new ads come weeks after a separate campaign openly recruited Thais into the Russian army. In late September, The Moscow Times reported that an agency called T2R — Promo was offering Thai men aged 20 to 58 one-year contracts with the Russian army worth 2.5 million baht. The ads promised service in Russia’s Transbaikal region, thousands of miles from Ukraine. But an army representative said no specific assignment could be guaranteed, according to the report, which UNN also covered.
Unlike that campaign, the refinery ads do not mention military service.
Amnesty International said Sept. 10 that Russia has recruited foreigners with offers of civilian jobs, such as security or logistics work, and then drafted them into the army. Some recruits said their passports and phones were taken, and most were sent to combat after about two weeks of training. The EU’s EUvsDisinfo project has documented Russian military recruitment ads on Meta platforms in up to 40 languages, including Thai.
The ads may also be an ordinary scam with no link to Russia’s military. The Reddit user who found them said they could be an attempt at identity theft. Other users noted the ads’ AI-generated images and a link to a Facebook profile with a Latin American name. A Russian military emblem on a WhatsApp profile does not show who is behind the account.
The promised bonus is also unusually high. The ads offer $60,000, or about 2.16 million baht, on signing. By comparison, the warehouse-guard ads aimed at Russians offered about 3.1 million rubles, or about $37,000, according to The Insider.
Thailand’s Department of Employment and Foreign Ministry have not publicly commented on the ads.
Classic “too good to be true.” Job seekers should not hand over passports or personal documents to unverified overseas recruiters. Offers can be checked with the Department of Employment’s hotline at 1694. Suspected trafficking can be reported to the 1300 hotline of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
h/t Reddit