Search Results for: migrant workers
- Thailand News
Migrant workers take over house of Thai-Australian couple in Korat
A Thai woman and her Australian husband filed a police complaint after a group of migrant workers took over their house in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat. The Thai woman, 66 year old Somporn Rolland, told officers at Sikhio Police Station that she returned home from Australia in February to find the group of migrants…
- Thailand News
Bangkok: Thai authorities crack down on illegal immigrant workers
Thai immigration officers cracked down on immigrant workers allegedly encroaching on local professions in Bangkok’s bustling Ratchathewi district. Thai immigration officers, alongside immigration police and Phaya Thai police, have disclosed a meticulously planned operation aimed at eliminating immigrant workers accused of infringing upon the livelihoods of Thai locals without proper authorisation. The operation, which took place yesterday, saw more than…
- Thailand News
Migrant workers get free pass home for Songkran celebrations
To ease the journey home for migrant workers from Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that they will be exempted from re-entry fees if they wish to return to their home countries to celebrate Songkran between April 1 and May 15. The decision, greenlit by the policy committee on the management of alien workers, aims to…
- Thailand News
Thai citizenship for migrant workers’ kids to boost birth rates
In a bid to address Thailand’s declining birth rates, the research director of inclusive development at the Thailand Research Development Institute (TDRI) has put forward a radical proposal to grant Thai citizenship to migrant workers’ children. With a projected drop of 100,000 births over the next four to five years, attributed to financial constraints and lifestyle choices, Dr Somchai Jitsuchon’s…
- Crime News
Cargo caper: Hidden migrant workers in household goods truck foiled in Bangkok
The illegal transportation of migrant workers into Bangkok was recently foiled by highway police. A truck, which was seemingly moving household items, was intercepted, revealing nine Myanmar migrant workers hidden within the cargo. Investigations are underway to establish the full extent of this smuggling operation. Today, highway police in Ayutthaya, led by officer Paphinwit Udomphorn, continued their operation against the…
- Thailand News
Permit panic: Thailand spots 3,000+ migrant workers in hot water
The Department of Employment in Thailand identified over 3,000 migrant workers operating without required permits. This discovery was part of an ongoing clampdown on migrants engaged in jobs deemed off-limits for foreign workers. Between October of the previous year and yesterday, the department conducted random checks on 53,732 workplaces across the country that employ migrant labourers. These investigations revealed that…
- Thailand News
Teen’s high-risk hustle: 16 year old busted smuggling 14 Burmese migrant workers in stolen ride
A 16 year old boy has been caught in Ayutthaya for smuggling 14 Burmese migrant workers in a stolen vehicle, in exchange for a fee of 15,000 baht (US$429). Highway Police yesterday noticed a suspicious grey Isuzu MU-X with Phitsanulok registration, which looked overloaded compared to regular vehicles. The teenage driver attempted to evade the police, who signalled for the…
- World News
Indonesia, Malaysia discuss legalising 1.5m undocumented migrant workers
The issue of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers took centre stage at a recent meeting between Indonesian and Malaysian immigration authorities. The meeting, held at the Malaysian Immigration Headquarters in Putrajaya, was attended by the Director General of Immigration Malaysia, Ruslin Jusoh, and his Indonesian counterpart, Silmy Karim. Silmy Karim stated in a press release that the purpose of the visit…
- Thailand News
Cabinet approves extension for over 200,000 migrant workers amid government limbo
The Thai Cabinet approved an extension for over 200,000 migrant workers’ employment contracts, allowing them to retain their jobs until the new government assumes office, according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. The decision impacts workers from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, and comes after an initial rejection of the Labour Ministry’s request for an extension. The change of heart was…
- Thailand News
Migrant workers fill gap in Thailand’s tourism and service sectors due to labour shortage
Migrant workers are increasingly filling roles in Thailand‘s tourism and service sectors, due to a chronic manpower shortage, according to Tanit Sorat, deputy chairman of the Employers’ Confederation of Thailand (ECOT). The labour shortage is the result of new Thai graduates choosing freelance jobs and the country’s ageing population. Sorat explained that with many graduates preferring a slower lifestyle over…
- Economy News
Arrogant Thai construction company rips off Myanmar migrant workers
An arrogant Thai construction company has been ordered to cough up wages it refused to pay to its migrant workers earlier this year. The arrogance of the unnamed building firm is underlined by the fact that no representatives came to court to defend or justify its action. The Labour Court in Phuket told the construction company to settle three months’…
- World Cup
400 to 500 migrant workers in Qatar died due to World Cup, not 6,500
A FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar chief revealed that about 400 to 500 migrant workers had died from working on projects related to the World Cup. The figure stated by Hassan Al-Thawadi, the Permanent Secretary of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022, is in contradiction to what The Guardian found. The British…
- Thailand News
European Union praises Thailand’s efforts in migrant workers’ rights
While Thailand is renowned for its beaches, mountains, and smiles, the country doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to labour rights. Earlier this week, Thailand raised its minimum daily wage to 650 baht per day. Anyone who lives here knows that even the new wage is absurdly low, and not enough to live comfortably. Meanwhile, Thailand is…
- World News
Quarantine waivered allowing 160,000 migrant workers to enter Thailand
In an effort to stop illegal border crossers looking for work, a newly signed memorandum of understanding will allow more than 160,000 migrant workers to enter Thailand without having to go through the quarantine procedure. Workers from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos have been given a free pass from tomorrow through the MoU signed if they have been fully vaccinated with…
- World News
First group of ‘official’ Burmese migrant workers enter Thailand to bolster labour market
Thailand’s PM and the Minister of Defence Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking all relevant departments to recruit migrant workers using the Memorandum of Understanding or MOU system. The PM has also directed the Ministry of Labour to “take care of each worker”, and ensure that Covid-19 prevention measures are adhered to. Today, the PM’s Spokesperson, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, told Thai media that…
- Thailand News
Thailand aims to employ army of 150,000 migrant workers to solve labour shortage
Thailand is looking to bring in more labourers from neighbouring countries with the help of recruitment agencies, as the government seeks to employ an army of around 150,000 foreign workers to make up for the country’s low percentage of people willing to do manual labour jobs. But the general public is worried about the clutter and spread of Covid-19 from…
- Business News
Businesses call on government to accelerate return of migrant workers
Businesses in Thailand are urging the government to speed up the process that will allow for the legal return of migrant workers from neighbouring countries. The Labour Ministry recently confirmed its intention to sign MoUs with Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos that would permit workers from those countries to enter Thailand from December. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, Thailand’s…
- Covid-19 News
Half a million vaccine doses set aside for return of migrant workers
The Thai government has set aside up to half a million Covid-19 vaccine doses as it prepares for the return of much-needed migrant workers. The move comes following confirmation from Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin that Thailand will sign MoUs with neighbouring countries to allow workers to enter through legal channels. Officials have vowed to crack down on people smugglers and…
- Business News
Thailand’s chicken industry suffering from lack of migrant workers
Thailand, one of the world’s major producers of chicken products, is struggling to keep up with exports. Japanese food companies, one of the major importers of Thai chicken, are feeling the pinch. Like many industries, it’s a labour shortage causing many of the issues. Around the world, supply chains have been severely disrupted by the Covid pandemic and labourers have…
- Visa Information
Labour Ministry confirms timeframe for registering undocumented migrant workers
The Thai government has issued a timeframe during which employers must register undocumented migrant workers, thereby allowing them to obtain work permits and work legally. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Labour Minister, Suchart Chomklin, says the measure applies to migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, and is being introduced to mitigate the risk of further Covid-19 outbreaks.…
- World News
10 Burmese migrant workers arrested in Songkhla
10 Burmese migrant workers were arrested this morning at a rubber plantation near the Malaysian border in the southern Thai province of Songkhla. Police say 7 migrant workers managed to evade capture. A combination of provincial and immigration police went to the plantation that is near the Dan Nok Village, opposite Malaysia’s Kedah State, in anticipation of a van full…
- Thailand News
14 Burmese migrant workers arrested for allegedly illegally crossing the border
14 Burmese migrant workers were arrested in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province this morning. The Bangkok Post says they were found hiding in the forest by army patrol and police. The group was mostly men, and none had travel documents on them. When the workers were questioned, they told officials that they had been walking on natural trails from Dawei, a…
- Thailand News
Lack of migrant workers forces government to appeal to Thais to fill vacant jobs
A shortage of migrant workers has driven the Thai government to appeal to Thais to do the jobs that have been left vacant. The Phuket News says there are over 400,000 jobs that need to be filled after migrant workers were unable to fill them due to Covid restrictions, which prevented them from entering Thailand. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin says…
- World News
Nearly 40 border officials quarantined for testing after 9 migrant workers they arrested test positive for Covid
Nearly 40 officials in Songkhla, a southern Thai province, are quarantined for testing after 9 out of 14 illegal Burmese migrant workers, whom the officials arrested previously, tested positive for Covid. The migrant workers were arrested by immigration police and administrative officials at a border section near Ban Rai Tok, opposite the Kedah State of Malaysia, on Saturday. The workers…
- Northern Thailand News
Police bust gang that allegedly transported migrant workers
A gang that allegedly took Laotian migrant workers from Bangkok to the northeast of Thailand has been busted. The Chief of Immigration, Sompong “Big Oud” Chingduang told the media about the bust involving a gang is reportedly called “Jay Wan”. Multiple sources had reported the group’s alleged illicit behaviour. According to Thai media, the group had the workers book their…
- Thailand News
Minister: Foreigners, migrant workers are cared for amid Covid-19
Facing mounting criticism of the plight of migrant workers, often Burmese or Cambodian immigrants, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Minister of Labour Suchat Chomklin has spoken out in defence of the treatment of foreigners within Thailand. He stressed to the press that all laws and policies are non-discriminatory and that the government has addressed the concerns and safety of foreign…
- Thailand News
Laos Covid-19 cases rise as migrant workers return from Thailand
Covid-19 cases in Laos has spiked, reportedly due to migrant workers returning home from Thailand, bringing the virus with them. In Thailand’s latest wave of infections over the past several months, many of the workers had lost their jobs while others returned to their home country to flee from lockdown restrictions at construction camps and factories, primarily in Bangkok. Covid-19…
- Thailand News
Migrant workers ask Thai government for assistance during the pandemic
With Covid-19 affecting many migrant communities in Thailand, Cambodian workers are now asking the Thai government for help. A petition calling for assistance during the pandemic to help with providing food, financial support and medical services was submitted this week to the Thai Ministry of Labour and Parliament. Thousands of Cambodian migrant workers signed the petition, which was submitted by…
- Thailand News
2 men arrested in Kanchanaburi for allegedly smuggling in migrant workers over the last 2 days
Early this morning and yesterday night, 2 Thai nationals and over 28 Burmese have been arrested in Kanchanaburi, a province in western Thailand. The Thais were allegedly smuggling the migrants into Thailand so they could work in the country. The exact charges have not been specified. In the first bust: A combination of police, soldiers, and “volunteers” had stopped and…
- Covid-19 News
515 test positive for Covid at construction site in Nonthaburi, mostly migrant workers
Another construction site, this time in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok, has reported an outbreak of Covid-19 after active testing revealed 515 people infected with Covid-19, over half of the 959 total workers who were there and screened. The worksite, Sin0-Thai, has been ordered to close. The majority of those who tested positive were asymptomatic, according to provincial health officials who…
