20,000 expected to apply for unemployment in Chiang Mai

With thousands of businesses shuttered and public spaces closed to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coroavirus, Chiang Mai’s social security office expects some 20,000 laid-off workers to register for unemployment benefits.

“People started registering on Tuesday and we’re getting at least 1,000 a day on average. And they’re not just Chiang Mai people, but also from other provinces.”

Registration can be made at a special centre opened in front of Chiang Mai City Hall to protect people working or visiting there from infection. But applicants are encouraged instead to register online or by post, both avoiding the queues and adhering to the principle of social distancing.

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is now also urging foreigners living in the kingdom to file 90 day residency reports and visa extension requests online or by post, to avoid overcrowding at immigration offices.

SOURCE: The Nation