Pattaya operation leads to 11 detained in migrant labour crackdown
Immigration police in Chon Buri yesterday, March 24, reported on an illegal migrant labour crackdown in Pattaya targeting foreign nationals suspected of working in jobs reserved for Thais, following inspections earlier this month.
At the Chon Buri Immigration Office (Pattaya checkpoint), Immigration Bureau officers reported on a proactive operation to curb illegal employment and protect jobs reserved for Thai nationals.
According to officers, an inspection team checked locations along Pattaya Beach Road and Pattaya Second Road, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. Police reportedly detained 11 suspects during those checks.
The group included nine Lao nationals and one Cambodian national. They were accused of being foreign nationals working without a work permit, or working outside the scope of their permitted rights, under Section 8 of the Emergency Decree on Managing the Work of Foreigners, B.E. 2560 (2017).
Officers also reported a further case involving one Lao national who was accused not only of working without permission but also of overstaying permission to remain in Thailand by 2,061 days.
The commander of Immigration Division 3 noted that the operation followed national policy direction from the Royal Thai Police chief and the head of the Immigration Bureau, who had instructed units to intensify investigations, suppression efforts, and the removal of unlawful foreign nationals.
During a wider campaign between March 16 and 22, police reported 146 arrests for alleged offences. The figures included 63 Myanmar nationals, 42 Lao nationals, 14 Cambodian nationals, 14 Chinese nationals, eight Vietnamese nationals and five from other countries.
Police recorded 98 cases of alleged work without permission and 49 cases of alleged work outside permitted rights.
The prohibited roles identified during enforcement reportedly included street vending (36 cases), hairdressing (one case) and office clerk work (one case). Other work categories included storefront sales (44 cases), labouring (36 cases), restaurant work (six cases) and other roles (28 cases).
Police said that since February, visas had been revoked for 250 foreign nationals accused of working illegally, adding that enforcement would continue with no relaxation even after the policy-led campaign period ended.
Police also said they had coordinated with Grab, Bolt and LINE MAN to prevent foreign nationals from taking Thai jobs and to investigate “identity renting”, where Thai user accounts are allegedly leased to foreigners.
Matichon reported that the practice was described as a serious offence, with enforcement of Thai-reserved occupations set to continue alongside public outreach to help foreign workers understand and comply with the law.
Police added that information would be assessed in detail and, if wrongdoing is found, legal action would follow, including arrest, visa revocation and blacklisting.
Elsewhere, Tourist police stormed a construction site in Rayong, unmasking a major visa scam that saw dozens of foreign nationals working illegally at a site in the Nikhom Phatthana Industrial Estate. The operation saw 34 foreign workers, seven Chinese and 27 from Myanmar, arrested.
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