The Labour Ministry will ask the cabinet to approve a special round of registrations in August to help migrant workers from neighbouring countries renew their work permits and resolve other administrative issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a source said.

The ministry will ask the cabinet to consider its proposal at its next meeting, the source added.

The proposal is intended to help migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar who are stranded in Thailand or are unable to return to Thailand after the kingdom’s borders were shut to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Many migrants are facing the risk of becoming illegal workers as coronavirus restrictions are making it difficult for them to fulfil the administrative requirements to renew their work permits.

Under the proposal, all migrant workers who take part in the special round of registrations will be allowed to legally work in Thailand until March 31, 2022, the source said.

The Labour Ministry’s migrant worker policy committee said on July 20 that the migrant workers will be divided into several groups, based on the nature of their problem.

The first group includes migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar whose work permits expired on March 31, but were not re-registered in the ministry’s online database by their employers before the required deadline.

The cabinet has previously agreed to extend the deadline to July 31 to help this group, the source said.

The second group consists of migrant workers who lost their jobs as their permits were being renewed.

Under existing rules, these workers are required to find a new employer within 30 days, or else they are automatically considered illegal migrants and have to leave the country or face deportation.

However, many laid-off workers couldn’t find a new job because of the economic fallout of the pandemic, the source said, before adding these workers have no choice but to remain in Thailand as borders restrictions remain in place.

The third group consists of migrant workers who had finished their 4-year employment contract in March and returned to their countries of origin but wanted to return to Thailand under existing foreign labour arrangements to take up work again.

These workers are also still unable to return, as the border remains closed to migrant workers for the time being, the source said.

Other groups will be set up to assist migrant workers in the fishing industry, which is in need of labour with many reported vacancies, as well as migrant workers from neighbouring countries who are permitted to cross the border to work in Thailand under seasonal contracts, the source said.

Adisorn Keadmongkol, a coordinator of the Thai Migration Working Group, said there still are more problems facing migrant workers which have yet to be acknowledged and discussed under the proposal. More attention was needed to address their plight.

As such, Mr Adisorn recommended setting up a special working group to handle and resolve outstanding work-permit-related matters.