PHUKET — The Ministry of Labor has issued a notice to companies employing migrant workers from four countries including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam whose work permits will expire on February 13, 2025. Employers must renew these work permits to ensure the workers’ right to stay and work in Thailand until February 13, 2027.
Minister of Labor Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stressed that the ministry has continuously improved its management of migrant workers, focusing on ethical employment practices and the protection of workers’ legal rights. Employers are encouraged to comply with the law and ensure that their migrant workers are covered by Section 33 of the Social Security Act.
There are currently 3,342,990 legally employed migrant workers across Thailand, of which 2,422,004 are from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. As their work permits expire on February 13, 2025, the ministry urges employers to renew them immediately.
“If employers hire migrant workers without valid work permits or assign them tasks that are not within the scope of their permits, they will face penalties, including fines, imprisonment, deportation or a ban on hiring foreign workers in the future,” Phiphat warned.
Minister Phiphat also visited Phuket on January 9 to review the implementation of labor policies in the provinces. He visited the Sea Heaven project in Sakhu Subdistrict, Thalang District, accompanied by Phuchong Warasri, an official from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat who works with the Ministry of Labor, and Somchai Morakotsriwan, director general of the Ministry of Labor.
He explained that the visit was aimed at sensitizing employers on the Cabinet’s policy on dealing with migrant workers and to ensure proper enforcement. The visit was also to gather feedback from employers, migrant workers and government agencies in the region and address their issues.
In addition, the Minister wanted to advance the measures related to social welfare, social security and protection of migrant workers as per the Cabinet decision.
During the inspection of a construction site in Thalang district, a seven-storey housing project, 85 Myanmar workers were employed. At another construction site in Phuket City, 307 Myanmar workers and 392 workers of other nationalities were employed.
All workers had valid work permits and had complied with the Cabinet Decision dated September 24, 2024. The documents had already been submitted electronically and health checks, biometric data collection and the creation of worker files were underway.
Somchai Morakotsriwan added that the Department of Employment (DOE) allows employers to submit work permit renewal applications for their foreign workers online through the following platforms:
Cambodian workers: https://cam.doe.go.th/
Myanmar workers: https://mou2024.doe.go.th/
Laotian and Vietnamese workers must return to their home countries by February 13, 2025. If they wish to return to Thailand, they must comply with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
If employers have any questions, they can contact the labor office in each province, the labor office in Bangkok (areas 1-10), the Department of Employment hotline at 1506 (button 2) for the Department of Employment, or the DOE’s 24-hour hotline at 1694.
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