Thai govt cracks down on agents offering false hope

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said on Monday that Department of Employment director-general Phairoj Chotikasatien has been instructed to take legal action against suspects accused of luring people into taking up illegal jobs overseas and help the victims.

“If any agent invites you to sneak into a country or work overseas on a tourist visa, you can assume that you are being deceived,” he said.

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin

Meanwhile, Pairoj said the Department of Employment is keeping an eye out both online and offline to see if people are being invited to work overseas illegally.

The department has also provided information on how people can apply for foreign jobs legally and how they can identify criminals.

“During this fiscal year, as many as 46 people have been prosecuted over this issue,” he said, adding that 112 people had been deceived and up to 10.16 million worth of damages incurred.

He also warned that anybody caught luring people to work overseas illegally can face three to 10 years in prison and/or 60,000 to 200,000 baht in fine.

Anybody advertising jobs overseas with permission can face up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht, he added.

People interested in working overseas can visit doe.go.th/overseas or call the Department of Employment’s hotline 1506 press 2.

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