Thailand will prohibit family members from joining migrant workers coming to Thailand from neighbouring countries beginning in 2017, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Friday.

Speaking at a seminar on improving cooperation between Mekong River countries on migrant labour, the prime minister provided few details behind the decision, but hinted that health insurance and education costs for non-working spouses and children of foreign workers was creating a burden on government coffers.

Gen Prayut said Mekong River countries are seeing their economies develop quickly and, thus, would need to retain more workers. Some migrants working abroad now, including in Thailand, also may begin to return home.

He said worker migration is an issue that involves both the government and private sectors, especially recruitment companies that must raise their standards to prevent human trafficking.

Thailand, he said, has pushed for origin countries to verify the nationalities of the workers being sent abroad to facilitate labour movement, with home countries supplying all the needed documentation for those coming to Thailand.

He said, however, leaders of several countries have asked for more time to implement verification. Thailand agreed to the extension, as it ultimately bears the burden of providing health coverage and education. That was one reason behind the decision to bar dependents from joining migrant workers in 2017, he said.

Thailand has accepted a large number of migrant workers and does not want to take advantage of its neighbours, but the government has to consider its own security as labour movement occurs both legally and illegally, said Gen Prayut.

The premier emphasised the need to improve skills among regional workers, so a training centre was established in Tak province as part the new special economic zone project.

By Patsara Jikkham
Published on 4 September 2015