Sakda Kaewbuadee is an actor, but not the kind who always spends time in the limelight, walking red carpets and giving autographs. When he is away from acting, he helps refugees.
Having been in the entertainment industry for 15 years, Sakda has played leading roles in a number of director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's movies, such as Tropical Malady (2004), Syndrome And A Century (2008), Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) and Ten Years Thailand (2018). But now that refugees have become a significant human-rights issue -- as with the recent case of Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who fled her country through Thailand and was eventually granted asylum in Canada -- Sakda has turned himself into a pillar of strength and hope for some of the most vulnerable fugitives, who have been waiting years to get resettled in a third country.
Grocery bags full of supplies for refugee families that are largely dependent on his support. Photo: Apichit Jinakul
For two years now, helping the downtrodden has been an integral part of his nature. A native of Kanchanaburi province, Sakda said that although he is not new to helping people in need, volunteering to become a crusader for refugee welfare came very much by chance for the unassuming personality.
Accompanying a foreign expat friend to visit detainees at Bangkok's Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) was his turning point. He found to his dismay that there was a large number of inmates, consisting of both asylum seekers and refugees, whose stories saddened him to the core of his soul. Many had been incarcerated for years, with little progress having been made in their cases for both refugee status and resettlement to a third country.
After that expat friend of his returned to his country, Sakda didn't stop there. He began volunteering to do their case work and bring much-needed groceries each time he visited.
Today Sakda devotes all his free time from filming to visit the people he describes as his "family". In the past two years, he has not just helped to resettle a family of eight to France, but has played a huge role in being there for them when they most need him.
"Very much like in sickness and in health," laughed Sakda, 40.
Today his work revolves largely around asylum seekers from Pakistan, Vietnam, Somalia and the Congo. His heart especially goes out to asylum seekers, individuals who have yet to receive refugee status from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
"Asylum seekers are probably the most pitiful because a significant number have their cases rejected for a number of reasons. From what I have found, many of them continue to apply because they fear for their life if they return home. They continue to plead their case with the UNHCR in the slim hope of getting a positive result," said Sakda, who credits his husband Laurent Vaysse for supporting his work.
To be the light at the end of the tunnel for people with little hope for the future can be a daunting task, so Sakda opts to give each case he works with a fighting chance -- be it individuals detained at the IDC or the hundreds that reside in squalid living conditions on the outskirts of Bangkok.
A refugee who overstays their visit faces a 20,000 baht fine. And Sakda admitted that one of the biggest struggles of being a volunteer is when it comes to raising money to pay off the fine. His strong 4,000-plus Facebook followers, which include his connections within the Thai entertainment industry, have greatly helped him address these financial issues, but oftentimes the need is so great that he admits having to dig deep into his pockets to cover remaining expenses.
A pantry full of groceries he keeps in stock for his trips to help refugees in need.
Sakda, who was recently invited to speak at an Amnesty International event, said the plight of both asylum seekers and refugees is often in limbo because their cases can drag on for years, negatively impacting not just their physical but their emotional health.
Many who face this uncertainty while living hand-to-mouth in Thailand question the manner with which the recent case of the 18-year-old al-Qunun was handled by the UNHCR, who expeditiously worked on getting her settled in Canada in less than a month.
No one is questioning the teen's motives for seeking asylum, which was largely based on her renouncing the Islam faith and the repercussions that followed, he said, but rather how obvious it was that global media pressure put the UNHCR in a spot, prioritising her case so she could leave the country much faster than other, equally genuine cases that haven't received as much media coverage.
"A lot of us believe that the deciding factor in the outcome of al-Qunun's case was the global media scrutiny and coverage it attracted. Whether getting their stories out in the media will improve their opportunities for resettling is anyone's guess."
"My hope is that they work as diligently for the rest of the refugees," added Sakda, who just last month played a central role in getting Nhia, a Vietnamese refugee, and his family of six resettled in France.
On the positive side, Sakda said, al-Qunun's case has brought to light the plight of refugees in the Kingdom.
"After this case's huge media coverage, Thais of all walks of life have a better understanding of why people become displaced. Becoming a refugee can be due to numerous reasons -- it is not just political and religious conflicts."
Checking up on their casework and other urgent issues pertaining to their well-being takes the lion's share of his free time.
"Prior to this, many Thais were unaware that Thailand is home to a significant number of refugees from different parts of the world. They also had a sadly wrong impression of refugees, making them out to be troublemakers and criminals. Al-Qunun's case has shed light on this to be anything but true."
On the IDC struggle, he said that despite having its challenges, it is going strong.
"One of the biggest challenges facing me today is the number of visitors the IDC allows each day. In the past, the number wasn't capped, but today they don't allow over 85 visitors. They haven't given a proper reason for this regulation.
"This is most unfortunate because they are over 1,000 detainees inside, many who are not refugees or asylum seekers. A number of their family members arrive each day from homes that are very far [from the IDC], so imagine not being able to visit your loved ones if you happen to be the 86th visitor."
At the end of the day, he said, his biggest worry is who will take over his responsibilities when he returns to France after his partner's posting in Thailand is over in two years.
A reflective moment for Sakda as he contemplates the future of refugees in Thailand. Photo: Apichit Jinakul
"Today, I have a number of Thais asking me why I spend my energy on improving the life of a refugee when I should be thinking of bettering the livelihood of downtrodden Thais. It is unfortunate that they have a rather nationalistic view on such a delicate matter.
"People need to have a heart for such volunteer work, because, for one, you give more than you receive. But what you do get is the satisfaction of helping another human in need. Which in my book is priceless. Watching them start a new life in a country where they can have hope for the future, for not just themselves but also their children, gives me immense joy."
When asked if he would like to one day play the role of a refugee activist -- or, better still, a refugee -- as an actor, the versatile artist said with a grin: "Yes, I would like to be challenged to put myself in their shoes, because it is heartbreaking, to say the least. However, it would have to be filmed abroad so I wouldn't get in trouble with the Thai authorities."
The Nhia family, eternally grateful to Sakda for his support in helping them get resettled, sightseeing in Paris. Sakda Kaewbuadee
