New govt urged to ease registration process for migrant workers

These three measures will help draw unregistered workers from neighbouring countries – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam – into the legal system and ensure compliance with labour laws, confederation president Ekasit Kunanantakul said.

ECOT wants the new government to establish one-stop service centres where employers and migrant workers can complete the registration process as well as other legal and regulatory issues in one place instead of going to different agencies.

The one-stop service centres “will save time and money by providing services such as worker registration, visa and work permit issuance and extension, as well as physical exams in one convenient place”, Ekasit said. “Ideally, employers and migrant workers should be able to complete this process within a day.”

The government should also reduce fees for migrant-worker registration and work-permit extensions because high fees create an obstacle for migrant workers, most of whom have low-paying jobs, to enter the legal system.

The registration fee for a two-year work permit in Thailand is 9,480 baht per person for those without health insurance, and 6,380 baht per person for those with insurance, Ekasit said, adding: “These expenses are too high compared to the minimum wage and as a result they deter unregistered workers from entering the [legal] system.”

ECOT also proposed relaxing the rules requiring registered migrant workers to report to immigration authorities every 90 days. Those providing lodging to migrant workers are also required to follow this rule.

“The new government needs to act fast as Thailand is becoming an ageing society and the reliance on migrant workers is growing,” Ekasit said. “These measures will also reduce the gap in treatment due to differences in socio-economic status and ethnicity, promoting human security in Thai society.”

About 1.9 million migrant workers were registered with the Labour Ministry as of April 2023.