The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically reduced the need for registered foreign labour to supplement the Thai workforce. In pre-virus 2019, the number of guest workers in Chonburi province was over 250,000 but, according to the Department of Labour, the number had shrunk to 158,000 by the end of 2020. It is now estimated to be around 90,000, mostly nationals of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
Foreigners who were formerly employed in the hotel, food and hospitality sectors have been declared redundant. Many have left as land border posts are open to receive returning nationals. Most of those remaining in Thailand are Myanmar citizens working in the construction and fishing industries. The violence and bloodshed in Myanmar, since the Burmese military enacted a coup last February, means that most are desperate to remain here with their families.
The Foreign Worker Employment Agency (FWEA), based next to Jomtien Immigration, is responsible for the registration of foreign workers in the province and also handles their 90 day address reporting which foreigners of any nationality must still perform. Those registering for work for the first time are subject to virus testing, with any positives immediately hospitalized. Workers moving address or changing jobs must report immediately.
Jessataporn Sriboo, an attorney who heads the provincial FWEA, said, “The situation at the moment is static. Employers are not recruiting big numbers now, although labourers are still required at some new condo and housing developments.” He added that there had been an amnesty (which ended mid-February 2021) for foreign workers who had illegally entered the country. Most of those without passports or visas had come forward for registration and virus testing.
Thai police stress that the main problem now is illegal immigration fanned by Burmese gangs who tell lies to desperate people that there are job opportunities in Thailand and charge them up to 15,000 baht to guide them across the unmarked border areas between Myanmar and Thailand. Until now, Thai authorities have taken a lenient view and allowed most of the hundreds of victims captured by rangers and immigration police to remain.
Because of the recent surge at the border of Myanmar nationals who are clearly political refugees rather than economic migrants, this leniency appears to be changing. The situation has been made worse by the reported reopening of the Burmese border town of Tachilek which has casinos and bars and is suspected of being a base for spreading coronavirus.
However, the Bangkok-based Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has stated that no foreigner will be deported without undergoing two weeks of supervised quarantine. There are also Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between the Thai government and those of neighboring countries which give basic human rights to those who are registered for work with or without accompanying family members.
