The Thai government has announced a brand new streamlined system for manual workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos seeking employment in Thailand. They now need to register with a police-approved agency to obtain their Thai visa and official labour permit.
In the Pattaya area, the migrants must now register with the Foreign Worker Employment Agency which is housed in the International Law Office adjoining the immigration bureau in Jomtien. In the past, the lack of an organized system led to workers working illegally and being subject to deportation.
Jessataporn Sriboo, managing director of the Pattaya agency, said, “Many of the local migrants are seeking work in Pattaya’s construction industry. Our agency is effectively a one-stop shop which ensures proper recruitment and registration whilst working in conjunction with the immigration police.”
There are around 10,000 manual workers in the Pattaya area with two year permits which can be extended. Their 90 day reporting and the issuing of re-entry permits is also handled by the newly empowered agency.