The Burmese government will not be collecting tax from immigrant workers
and their families once their nationality has been identified, the
Employment Department’s deputy director-general said yesterday.

The identification of Burmese workers has been extended by another two
years and should be completed by 2012, Supat Gukun said.

The Burmese government confirmed that no tax would be collected from
immigrant workers, he said, adding that random checks on workers returning
after registering their nationality in Burma found that everyone had
returned to Thailand safely.

He also urged all immigrant workers, especially those from Laos, Cambodia
and Burma, to register their nationality because this way they can have a
year’s work permit by February 28 and be entitled to the same welfare and
protection as their Thai counterparts.