The Labour Minister chaired a meeting to clarify the work on managing foreigners of the three nationalities at Prasong Rananant Meeting Room, 5th Floor, Ministry of Labour. The meeting took place with relevant agencies to create knowledge and understanding on implementing work management guidelines for foreigners of the three nationalities.
On February 21, 2022, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin revealed that the Ministry of Labour invited relevant a gencies such as the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Department of Provincial Administration, the Immigration Bureau, the Ministry of Public Health, and members of the private sector, such as the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thgement of the work of foreigners of the three nationalities (Cambodia, Laos, a nd Myanmar). The meeting also provided opportunities for a clearer understanding of the guidelines for implementing the Cabinet Resolutions on various agendas, such as the Cabinet Resolutions on December 29, 2020, on July 13, 2021, and on September 2021. It discussed guidelines for importing foreign workers following the MOU, guidelines for waiving migrant workers who come to work under the MOU who complete their term of employment in 2022, and guidelines for bringing foreign workers of Cambodian and Myanmar nationalities following Article 64, to alleviate the labour shortage problem of employers/enterprises. The effort also aims to ensure workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar can enter the employment system according to Thai law, live in the kingdom and work properly, with dignity, without hiding, and receive welfare according to their rights. “Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, is committed to Thailand’s effective management of foreign workers, ensuring the labour laws are used, and creating awareness among employers/workplaces about how to comply with the employment law of foreign workers amid the COVID-19 situation for the benefit of driving the country’s economy. It supports the use of legal migrant workers to eliminate the root cause of human trafficking problems,” said the Labour Minister.
The Department of Employment’s Director-General Pairoj Chotiksetian said that the Department of Employment received the Labour Minister’s instructions to manage the work of foreign workers. After the COVID-19 eases, guidelines for managing workers of the three nationalities are prepared as follows:
1. Import foreign workers to work with employers following the MOU under the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing employers who are ready to apply to bring foreigners to work in the country (demand) from December 1, 2021. There are currently requests for bringing foreigners to work in the country (demand), amounting to 1,813 requests, requiring 113,717 foreign workers.
2. A waiver for 106,580 foreign workers to work under the MOU, whose employment term completes four years 2022, between January 1 and December 31, 2022, for a total of 106,580 people, can stay and work without having to travel back to the country of origin which is currently in the process of presenting to the Cabinet for approval.
3. Bringing Cambodian and Myanmar workers under Section 64 amid the COVId-19 situation in 9 provinces, starting a pilot in Chanthaburi as the first province. Since opening the country on December 1, 2022, the guidelines above were applied in 8 provinces, divided into Cambodian workers into four provinces, namely Sisaket, Surin, Sa Kaeo, and Trat, and Myanmar workers in 4 provinces, namely Chiang Rai, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ranong.
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Division of Public Relations
21 February 2022
