BANGKOK – The Ministry of Labor proposed to the Cabinet meeting on March 27 to exempt migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar from paying the re-entry fee of 1,000 baht when they return to their home countries to celebrate Songkran Festival 2024.
The proposal was approved by the Committee on Foreign Worker Management Policy (KBT) at its first meeting in 2024. The aim of the exemption is to facilitate the journey of migrant workers returning to their home countries during the ASEAN New Year.
The Ministry of Labor has set the following guidelines for the exemption:
- Migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar who have work permits, as well as their dependents, who hold passports or travel documents that have been stamped and granted permission to stay in the Kingdom temporarily (Non L-A Visa), and whose visas are valid until at least 15 May 2024, are allowed to travel back to their home countries to celebrate the Songkran festival in 2024 between April 1 and May 15 without having to apply for a Re-Entry Permit.
- Migrant workers who do not wish to follow these guidelines, such as those who wish to return to Thailand after May 15 or do not yet know the exact date of their return, can apply for a permit to exit and enter the Kingdom under the Immigration Act as usual.
Somchai Morakotsriwarn, Director General of the Ministry of Labor, said the exemption will come into effect as soon as the Home Ministry’s announcement comes into effect or as specified by the Ministry of Interior.
He urged migrant workers to follow the Ministry of Labor’s news on the doe.go.th website. For more information, please contact the Bangkok Labor Office, Area 1-10, provincial labor offices nationwide, or the Ministry of Labor Hotline 1506, Press 2, Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of Labor Hotline 1694.
