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.

For migrant workers already being processed in the period since December last year to March 31 next year, the timeframe has been extended, to reflect the fact that some services were restricted during Covid-19 lockdowns.

Officials from the Department of Employment will carry out checks at factories, constructions sites and other work places over a 30-day period, in order to offer health guidance to business owners and migrant workers. During this time, migrant workers will be documented and their bosses required to apply for work permits and other relevant documentation.

The Bangkok Post reports that while waiting for work permits to be issued, employers will be given a document which migrant workers can use until they receive their work permits. Permits will be valid until February 13, 2023. Pairoj Chotikasathien from the DoE says that, while waiting for social security benefits, migrants who’ve received a work permit must register for health insurance, from either the Public Health Ministry or an insurance company.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post