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 20 officers combing through markets in the Pratunam area, a hotspot for immigrant worker activity.

Prompted by grievances from residents, who claimed immigrant workers from Cambodia, Burma, Laos, and Vietnam were unlawfully peddling goods without supervision, immigration authorities sprung into action. The probe revealed 13 individuals, split into two groups, caught red-handed flouting labour laws.

The first group, comprised of undocumented workers, faced immediate deportation, while the second group, possessing work permits but violating working conditions, found themselves in hot water for illicitly setting up stalls.

Notably, 12 Burmese workers and one Laotian were taken to the Phaya Thai police station for legal processing and eventual expulsion from the country, reported Pattaya News.

In a stern message to the public, Thai immigration officers underscored the paramount importance of adhering to legal frameworks when seeking employment in the country. Concerned citizens were urged to report any suspicions of illegal immigrant activity directly to authorities via the dedicated hotline at 1178.

In related news, the Thai government has exposed a clandestine workforce of over 700 foreign workers engaged in professions reserved for locals over the past six months, officials declared on March 21. Government spokesperson Kharom Polpornklang disclosed that a vigorous crackdown by the Employment Department had ensnared 721 foreigners, predominantly employed as street vendors, hairdressers, drivers, and masseurs, prompted by grievances from indigenous workers.

In other news, in a crackdown on entertainment hotspots, police in Surat Thani Province found a restaurant owned by a Russian national on Koh Pha Ngan which illegally employed three Burmese workers.