Employment Office denies delays in issuing Phuket work permits

PHUKET: The new chief of the Phuket Employment Office has denied allegations that his office is taking up to two months to process work permits.

The Phuket Gazette was tipped-off by a concerned foreigner about an alleged backlog that was causing long delays in the issuance of work permits – a process that usually takes seven working days.

However, Pitool Dumsakorn, who took up the position as Phuket Employment Office chief on October 1, said he was not aware of any such problems with the issuance of work permits.

“Thank you for informing me of your concerns, but I am not aware of any delay issues in our office – we are continuing to process work permits as usual,” he told the Gazette.

“I guarantee that as long as we receive the correct documentation with the application, it will be issued within seven days,” Mr Pitool added.

The tip-off to the Gazette could have arisen from a misunderstanding of the process, or in some cases, delays caused by third parties, he said.

“Many foreigners hire a third party to take care of their applications and it could be that these third parties are not being truly honest about the process,” Mr Pitool explained.

“Please note that on the day you submit your documentation to us, you will be issued an appointment ticket with a date to pick up your work permit within seven days. You will also be issued a receipt, when you come to pick up the work permit.

“If you do not receive your work permit within seven working days, please come to our office in person. All we need is your name and your passport number so we can track your application.”

— Chutharat Plerin