Starting October 1, Myanmar refugees living in temporary border shelters are allowed to work in 43 provinces across Thailand. Since the flight of many Cambodian workers during the ongoing territorial dispute between Phnom Penh and Bangkok, there is an acute shortage of migrant workers especially in the construction, factory, fisheries and hospitality sectors.
Thai employers will select workers from the shelters and the paperwork will be completed by the Department of Provincial Administration. Workers will undergo health checks and be registered for medical insurance. Special permits will be issued for one year, renewable. The initial per person fee is 100 baht and the usual work permit fees will be waived. The recruitment shelters have around 42,000 refugees.
The Thai government has memoranda of understanding (MOU) with neighboring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to fulfil labour needs, but approvals and registration can take up to three months. The current scheme will bypass much bureaucracy whilst still issuing ID permits and guaranteeing basic rights such as free health care.
Pattaya is short of workers as the so-called high season is about to begin. Contractors are short of migrant labourers to help construct the many luxurious projects in and around the city, whilst hotels and hospitality outlets are hunting for staff. Many employers hire migrant but illegal workers, sometimes without any ID or personal documentation of any kind. But this risky practice is subject to raids by the immigration police and the inspectorate of the Department of Employment. Deportation to the nearest home border post is then a distinct possibility.
