Legalisation of Lao workers in Thailand begins

A team of Lao officials has arrived Thailand to verify the nationality of Lao workers there, according to a senior government official.

More than 200,000 Lao workers and about 9,000 family members have been registered across Thailand, Thai media reported recently.

Head of Office of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Khamkhane Phinsavanh, told the Vientiane Times on Friday that Lao officials travelled to Thailand last week to carry out the verification process.

National News Bureau (NNB) of Thailand reported on Thursday that Lao officials had begun the verification process that day.

Four nationality verification centres have been set up in Samut Prakan, Chiang Rai, Tak and Ranong provinces to verify the nationalities of workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, according to NNB.

Cambodia and Myanmar began working with Thai authorities on the verification process earlier this month. As of January 6, the nationality of nearly 36,000 Cambodians and 65 Myanmar citizens had been verified. However, none of the registered Lao workers have yet had their nationality verified.

Mr Khamkhane said officials in charge needed time to prepare for the procedures, meaning Laos began the work at a later date than Cambodia and Myanmar.

Given that Laos is unlikely to complete nationality verification for all Lao workers in Thailand by the end of March under the original deadline, Mr Khamkhane said authorities from both countries had agreed in principle to extend the timeframe.

Deputy Director General of the Skill Development and Employment Department under the Lao Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Dr Bounma Sitthisom, said previously it could take more than six months to verify the nationality of and legalise all Lao workers in Thailand.

Lao officials are carrying out the work at a centre in Samut Prakan province. Laos is also planning to dispatch mobile teams to reach out to all Lao workers across Thailand, NNB reported.

Nationality identification is part of the process to legalise the status of Lao workers in Thailand. All of the required documents will be processed in Thailand so workers do not have to return to Laos to obtain these documents.

According to a memorandum of understanding on labour cooperation between Laos and Thailand, a Lao worker with legal documents can work in Thailand for two years, with the option to extend for another two years.

After reaching the four year limit, the worker must return to Laos and work in his or her home country for three years before returning to Thailand to work.

By: Souksakhone Vaenkeo, Vientiane Times

Published on: 12 January 2015