BANGKOK, 18 June 2014 – Several state agencies are working to repel the rumor about the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) setting its course on eliminating migrant labor, in an effort to ensure that alien workers stay and work in Thailand.
Reporters observed that migrant workers continued to leave through the border points in Surin and Buriram on Tuesday, a phenomenon that came about after news about the NCPO’s plan to toughen control on alien labor.
In Buriram, staff from the provincial employment office were visiting sites of operation where migrant workers worked, in order to correctly inform the employers and employees of the NCPO’s policy. Reporters said Cambodian migrant workers in Buriram indicated they will return to Thailand if they can, and next time they will make sure the employment is legal.
In Samutsongkhram, where a large number of migrant workers reside, employers indicated they have yet to feel the effect of the migrant workers’ exodus. Provincial Governor Praphat Malakan also visited employers and workers to inform them of the NCPO’s policy on migrant workers.
Air Force chief Prajin Juntong, in his capacity as the NCPO’s head of economic affairs, asserted the NCPO was concerned about migrant workers leaving Thailand. However, he said it was necessary to register the workers into a system that allowed for ease of inspection. Personally, he believes that the migrant workers will return to work in Thailand if they have been correctly informed about the drive.
