The Cabinet approved an extension for the health examination period and applications for permission to stay in the Kingdom as a special case for foreigners according to the Cabinet’s resolution on August 20, 2019, August 4, 2020, and November 10, 2020. According to the Cabinet resolution on December 29, 2020, the approval also covers foreigners and adds guidelines on allowing detained foreigners to work with an employer with intentions to hire.
Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin reported that the new wave of Covid-19 outbreaks that have continued from the beginning of 2020 has spread across many areas and affected foreigners’ work management process. As a result, the implementation of the Cabinet’s guidelines has been delayed on many occasions, including the process of heath checks and visa extensions not being completed within the specified period, causing foreigners of the three nationalities to fall into an illegal immigrant status. This group includes detainees awaiting deportation, which cannot be processed due to the origin country’s refusal to accept the workers’ return. This is together with measures to limit workers’ movement following safety measures for the health of the people in Thailand, which is the priority, following the government’s guidelines. The government, under the leadership of Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, is committed to eliminating the problem of illegal foreign workers in all dimensions and simultaneously strengthen the economy, society, and health security.
“The Cabinet’s has approved the Ministry of Labour’s proposal to review the management of foreign workers amid the new wave of Covid-19 outbreaks, and the management of people in quarantine, as follows:
1. Approval to extend the period of health examinations and permission to stay in the Kingdom under special circumstances for foreigners according to the Cabinet’s resolution on August 20, 2019, August 4, 2020, and November 10, 2020, another six months. The period is extended to cover foreigners working under MOUs made between the Thai and foreign governments. The employment term is two years.
2. Approval to improve management guidelines foreigners according to the Cabinet’s resolution on December 29, 2020, as follows:
2.1 Approval to extend the health examination period for the six prohibited diseases, including leprosy, tuberculosis, elephantiasis, drug addiction, alcoholism, and syphilis. The extension is for six months until October 18, 2021. The Covid-19 screening will remain in the original time frame, to be completed by April 16, 2021.
2.2 Approval to extend the period for the issuance of a non-Thai national identity card with a work permit on the back of the card for foreigners with an employer until December 30, 2021. Foreigners without an employer and then have an employer extended until February 28, 2022.
2.3 Approval for the collection of personal data (biometric) by the Immigration Office to complete the process by April 16, 2021, at the same time as the Covid-19 test for identification verification of foreigners and national security, for the information to be sent to the Department of Employment to issue work permits.
2.4 Approval of the Ministry of Public Health’s guidelines for Covid-19 testing to provide medical facilities that are accredited by the Department of Medical Sciences to have the ability to provide Covid-19 screening foreigners. The cost that the medical facility charges shall be as prescribed by the Ministry of Public Health.
2.5 Approval for foreigners who have followed the prescribed guidelines and found that they are infected with Covid-19 if they are cured and recovered, can return to apply for a work permit. This must be completed within 60 days from the date of confirmed complete treatment of Covid-19.
3. Approval of the guidelines for bringing the Immigration Office’s detainees who will voluntarily work, to work with employers/establishments who intend to hire,” concluded the Labour Minister.
The Department of Employment’s Director-General Mr. Suchart Pornchaiwisetkun, to review the management of foreign workers following the Cabinet’s resolution, would have a target group of 2,335,671 people, as follows:
1. A total of 1,400,387 pink card holders,
1.1 Foreign workers, according to the Cabinet’s resolution on August 20, 2019, totaling 1,162,443 people. Currently, they are in the process of medical examinations and applying for a visa extension by March 31, 2021, whereby the period for health checks and visa extensions are extended another six months until September 30, 2021
1.2 Foreign workers according to the Cabinet’s resolution on August 4, 2020, totaling 237,944 people. They are currently in the process of medical examinations and applying for the first visa extension by March 31, 2021, whereby the period for medical examinations and visa extension applications is extended for another six months until July 31, 2021.
2. A total of 434,784 foreign workers under the MOU, consisting of:
2.1 Foreign workers under MOU according to the Cabinet’s resolution on November 10, 2020, totaling 119,094 people.
2.2 Foreign workers under the MOU, whose term of employment is over two years, totaling 315,690 people. Both groups are pending health examinations and visa extensions. Therefore, it was requested to extend the period for health examinations and visa extensions for another six months. This group is gradually going through the process, which will end on June 30, 2022.
3. Foreign workers, according to the Cabinet’s resolution on December 29, 2020, are currently submitting their registration. It is estimated that this group is approximately 500,000 people. Biometric data will be collected to identify foreigners and the country’s security during the same period of Covid-19 screenings by April 16, 2021. The Immigration Office shall send the collected data and biometrics for the Department of Employment to issue work permits.
4. Groups of foreign workers of three nationalities (Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar) in quarantine, totaling 500 people.
Employers/business establishments and foreign workers of Cambodian, Laos, or Myanmar nationality can get more information from the Provincial Employment Office, Employment Office Bangkok Area 1 – 10 or through Line @Service_Workpermit, or the Ministry of Labour&’s hotline, tel. 1506 press 2 for the Department of Employment. Services are provided in Cambodian, Myanmar, and English languages, offering recommendations and advice on registering via the online system.
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Division of Public Relations
27 January 2021
