CHAIYAPHUM — 13 May 2026, South Korea has suspended the recruitment of seasonal agricultural and fishery workers from four Thai provinces after multiple workers absconded from employers, Thai labour officials said.
Chutima Jumangmo, chief of the Chaiyaphum Provincial Employment Office, acknowledged that workers from the province had fled employers while working in South Korea under the E-8 seasonal worker visa programme.
She said South Korea had blacklisted Chaiyaphum, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and Maha Sarakham from participating in the programme throughout 2026.
The restriction took effect from 1 January to 31 December 2026 after South Korean authorities reported a high rate of Thai workers fleeing employers, damaging confidence in the programme.
The E-8 visa scheme allows Thai workers to take seasonal jobs in South Korea’s agricultural and fishing sectors under a memorandum of understanding between the two governments.
Chutima stressed that the suspension applied only to E-8 visa holders and did not affect Thai workers travelling to South Korea under other labour programmes.
According to provincial employment figures, 103 workers from Chaiyaphum travelled to South Korea during the current fiscal year, including 94 sent through the Labour Ministry and seven through private recruitment companies.
Of those workers, 10 reportedly absconded from their employers after arriving in South Korea under the E-8 programme, violating the agreement and contributing to South Korea’s decision to suspend recruitment from the province.
Chutima said two workers from Chaiyaphum who travelled to South Korea on 5 May and 12 May would also be affected by the suspension and would no longer be permitted to work under the E-8 programme for the remainder of the year.
Thai authorities warned that workers who flee employers abroad risk arrest, imprisonment, deportation and blacklisting from future overseas employment opportunities.