Laotian man arrested for illegal motorcycle taxi work in Bangkok
Thai police apprehended a 32 year old Laotian man for illegally working as a motorcycle taxi driver in the Huai Khwang district of Bangkok. The suspect, Leklai, was caught after police devised a plan to have him take them to a police station, where he was then arrested.
The arrest followed a tip-off from an informant who reported seeing a foreign-looking man operating a motorcycle taxi wearing vest number 16. This prompted Immigration Bureau Investigation Division 1 to investigate.
Officers observed the target at the motorcycle taxi stand and hired him to take them to Huai Khwang Police Station.
During the journey, officers engaged in conversation to detect any foreign accent but the man spoke Thai fluently. Upon arrival at the station, another group of officers conducted a document check.
The investigation revealed that Leklai entered Thailand with a three-nationality labour visa on July 30, last year, valid until July 29, 2026.
Although his visa and work permit are valid, his occupation is prohibited under the Ministry of Labour’s announcement on April 21, 2020, which lists jobs foreigners cannot undertake, including driving vehicles for public transport.
Leklai confessed to working as a motorcycle taxi driver for three days, earning approximately 300 baht (US$9) daily. He rented the vest for 1,800 baht (US$52) per month from a Thai acquaintance named Aod and a motorcycle for 3,800 baht (US$110) per month from another Thai, identified as Da.
Officials charged him with working beyond the scope of his visa and handed him over to investigators at Huai Khwang Police Station for legal action, reported KhaoSod.
Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonyalak, the Immigration Bureau Commander, emphasised the need for stricter law enforcement.
He instructed immigration police to focus on inspecting areas for illegal foreign workers or those taking jobs from Thais and to deliver tangible results.
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