Labour Minister Excels Management Of Foreign Workers After March 31

The Labour Minister has excelled directions for the management of foreign workers which is scheduled to end on the 31st March, coordinating with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to propel the citizenship verification process. Employment of foreign workers under Article 14 has expanded particularly in the fisheries industry in the 22 coastal provinces starting on the 1st of April, with emphasis that government officers must work proactively with visa fees of 500 Baht for Myanmar, Laos and Cambodian workers.

Labour Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat presided over the second subcommittee meeting to coordinate issues of foreign workers of the year. After the meeting, General Surasak said, “The Ministry of Labour is currently determining the direction for managing foreign worker issues after the 31st March 2015. The Ministry is working proactively in many areas simultaneously such as the acceleration for citizenship verification on workers from neighbouring countries where there has already been 1.6 million workers registered. However, the process cannot only be done by Thailand, it also requires the collaboration of origin counties too where there have already been talks with representatives from the neighbouring countries. Myanmar has assigned 5 teams to be stationed at the One Stop Service Center and another 21 special working teams to gather information on the citizenship verification process to submit to Thailand. Laos is currently arranging a team of officers which will increase the capacity on the verification process, with Cambodia also undergoing further processes. In any case, the 1.6 registered workers may not all be able to go through the verification process due to the complexity in the procedure to register or change employers, travel to origin countries and not returning and the request for foreign workers to enter/exit the border on a daily basis in accordance to Article 14 of The Foreign Workers Act. Some groups of foreign workers may also migrate to work along the borders or the Special Economic Zones as there is no necessity for further registration.”

Moreover, policies on the management of foreign worker issues after the 31st March were presented to officials and officers in provincial employment offices nationwide, reiterating a proactive approach and working ethically, staying clear of recruitment companies which could damage the reputation of the organization. The Ministry of Labour has consulted with relevant agencies such as the national army, navy, air force, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Health, Royal Thai Police, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Interior and the Bangkok Administration Office to prepare locations and a workforce to support citizenship verification procedures after the 31st March 2015. Foreign workers will be categorized into 4 groups consisting of (1) those that have passed the verification process already and have been granted a work permit at the provincial Employment Office in effect until the 31st March 2016 (2) those who have provided a name list for the verification process but have not been able to do so, will be exempted and allowed to stay within the country until the 31st March 2016. This group must report themselves to get a new card and permit at One Stop Service Centers nationwide, starting from the 1st April 2015 to the 30th June 2015 (90 days). This group will be allowed to work until the 31st March 2016 (3) those who have not provided a name list within the 31st March 2015 will be inspected, arrested and retuned back to origins in accordance to the National Council on Peace and Order’s commandments number 100 and 101, and (4) family members under the age of 15 years must report themselves to get a new card with the foreign worker within the 30th June 2015. Family members who report themselves will have the same rights as the worker themselves, however if they do not report themselves, they too will be asked to leave the country with the worker. During the extended verification period between the 1st April to the 30th June 2015, the Labour Minister asked that all authoritative units have some leniency during this period. If workers that have not gone through the process are found, he asked that officers and officials help provide information and advise them to proceed correctly during the allocated time. The Labour Minister also reiterated that officers involved in misconduct will result with severe disciplinary measures.

The resolution to shortages in the fisheries industry that passed the cabinet on the 3rd March 2015 saw fit for there to be open registration for foreign workers in fisheries, particularly in the 22 coastal provinces. The request for work and registration period will go on for 90 days starting from the 1st April 2015 at the One Stop Service center. In addition to this, the Ministry of Interior announced ministerial regulations on visa fees for Myanmar, Laotian and Cambodian workers for temporary stay in the kingdom, being single usage whereby passing the citizenship verification process and holding a passport of identity certificates with a fee of 500 Baht per person.
A total of 1,626,235 Cambodian, Laotian and Myanmar works have been registered with the filing of national verification for 284,246 workers and 126,685 already completed (information as of the 25th February 2015).
By: Puttachat Intasawa, Bureau of Public Affairs, Ministry of Labour
Published on: 23 March 2015