Thai labour authorities have amended the MOU (memoranda of understanding) with the Myanmar and Cambodian governments to reduce the shortage of workers in various Thai industries. The economic migrants, mostly on two or four year contracts, are found principally in the tourist trade as hotel staff, labourers on building sites or highways, the fishing industry manning trawlers and factory food processing.
Because of Covid, which saw many workers return to their country during the pandemic, their work permits expired or about to expire. Under the former regulations, there was a compulsory waiting period of 30 days before they were allowed to reapply. Another issue is that the transitional government of general Prayut Chan-o-cha made a hurried Cabinet decision to extend the expired permits to July 31 2023, with the proviso that the new incoming administration would have to sort out the issues.
However, the latest agreements permit quick online registration for workers who are currently in Thailand and those who wish to return to work from Myanmar or Cambodia. If migrants work illegally, they risk deportation as well as loss of benefits such as automatic enrolment in the Thai health system. The Cambodian and Myanmar authorities have separately asked the Thai Department of Labour to reduce the visa fee from 2,000 baht to 500 baht, but that will require Cabinet approval once one is formed.
Chonburi province in particular has hundreds of vacancies for workers from neighboring countries, especially hotel and restaurant staff (Pattaya), factory workers (Chonburi city) and trawler assistants (Sattahip and beyond). The problem is common to many countries with falling birth rates. The German coalition government is introducing a points system for foreign skilled, literate workers to make it easier for companies to recruit abroad. South Korea, which has the lowest birth rate in the world, regularly recruits Thai factory workers including those entering on a tourist visa which is technically out of order.
