10% of foreign workers apply for work permit renewals

BANGKOK, Feb 8 (TNA) – Only 10 per cent, or around 140,000 foreign workers whose work permits expire at the end of February, visited Provincial Employment Offices to apply for document renewals, according to Thailand’s Foreign Workers Administration.

Foreign Workers Administration director Tanich Numnoi said all work permits and applications for nationality verification for an estimated 1.4 million foreign workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia will expire on February 28.

Cambodian workers account for the greatest number, about 1.2 million, while those from Myanmar are around 110,000 and Lao nationals another 110,000.

Due to the closeness of the expiration date of work permits, Mr Tanich urged employers to take their foreign employees for a check-up at hospitals in order that the application to renew their work permits and for their nationality verification could be filed in time.

If employers cannot comply with within 20 days, their employees will automatically become illegal foreign workers. If found, an employer will face criminal charges of hiring foreign labour without an official permission document.

Employers could face a fine of Bt10,000-100,000, (about US$300-3,300) and possibly be charged with providing shelter for his/her foreign worker with the penalty of a five-year imprisonment and a fine of not more than Bt50,000 (about US$1,500).

Meanwhile, in order to meet the end of month deadline and to assure foreign labourers that they can apply in time,  the director of the Foreign Workers Administration said the Employment Department in mid-month will estimate the number of foreign workers wishing to renew their work permits to consider an extending deadline for extra work schedules of officials on weekends. (TNA)