Illegal Thai workers send billions home despite crackdowns
Thailand’s workforce abroad is pumping an astonishing 400 billion baht into the economy each year—much of it from illegal workers, according to Labour Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn. Despite government crackdowns, the number of undocumented Thai workers overseas remains high, with 382,699 working illegally last year alone.
While Thailand sent 92,392 legal workers abroad in 2024, a drop of 11% from 2023 due to conflicts in Israel, remittances surged by 9%, reaching 267.8 billion baht, up from 245.7 billion baht in 2023.
The rise is credited to the strong global demand for skilled Thai labour, particularly in construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.
The top 10 destinations for Thai workers include Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Laos, the United States, Singapore, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Thai workers are primarily employed in industrial sectors, construction, electronics manufacturing, agriculture, massage therapy, and technical trades like welding.
However, Malaysia leads the way in hosting illegal Thai workers, with a staggering 210,002 people working without proper documentation. South Korea follows with 136,023, Japan with 20,183, the United States with 7,500, Israel with 6,656, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung with 1,835, and Saudi Arabia with 500.
Despite risks such as arrest, deportation, and exploitation, many Thais continue to work illegally due to the promise of higher wages abroad. The government faces mounting pressure to address both the high numbers of undocumented workers and the factors driving Thais to seek illegal employment overseas, reported KhaoSod.
As the trend continues, police are grappling with how to balance economic gains from remittances with the challenges of regulating the growing Thai workforce abroad.
In similar news, Pattaya Tourist Police arrested 25 foreign nationals for working illegally at pool villa construction sites, exposing a growing network of foreign-run property developments.
The raid, led by Police Colonel Man Rotthong, targeted Chinese investors suspected of operating illegal villa rentals. Acting on a tip-off about 40 Chinese and Myanmar workers, officers raided four construction sites in Huay Yai, Bang Lamung, on March 11.
They found Myanmar labourers under Chinese supervision, with none able to produce valid work permits. Nine Chinese nationals and 16 Myanmar workers were detained and charged with violating Thailand’s employment and immigration laws.
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