BANGKOK, Jan 9 — As the deadline for migrant workers to undertake nationality verification identification draws near, Labour Minister Gen Surasak Karnjanarat said employers are expected to register Vietnamese employees in March.
Admitting that the number of illegal Vietnamese workers currently working in Thailand is unknown, Gen Surasak said he would ask cabinet approval mployees in March.
He said earlier that the deadline for migrant workers to undertake nationality verification is March 31.
Senior Labour Ministry and related agencies officers met recently to discuss progress in registering Myanmar, Cambodian and Lao workers in Thailand–but only 36,000 persons out of 1.6 million were registered, said Gen Surasak.
Officials from Vientiane arrived in Thailand yesterday to help process Lao workers in Thailand, he said, adding that progress must be assessed to determine the need to extend the nationality verification identification process.
Regarding the lack of workers in industries such as fishery and construction, Gen Surasak said entrepreneurs may be allowed to hire semi-skilled migrant workers, but not skilled ones as they could create jobless for Thais.
The country of origin of the workers must also accept the Thai government’s rules and conditions so that a memorandum of understanding could first be prepared.
