Laos to help with worker registration in Thailand

The investigators will first focus on provinces that have the largest number of Lao workers. This is part of Thailand’s move to register all foreign workers, with nationality verification being one of the requirements. 

The ambassador met Surasak last Thursday to discuss updating the memorandum of understanding on labour cooperation between the two countries, which is scheduled for every five years. Officials from both countries will be working together to update the MoU to meet the October 2015 deadline for the start of the Asean Economic Community, the National News Bureau (NNB) of Thailand said.

Some 212,562 Lao workers and 9,122 dependants have so far been registered in Thailand. According to the NNB, registration by both Thai and Lao authorities costs Bt3,000 per person.

Thailand has announced that nationality verification for newly registered aliens would take place from November 3 to March 31. 

In response to the envoy’s concerns about whether the entire process would be completed by the March 31 deadline, Surasak said his ministry was willing to provide assistance and there would be further discussion if the identification process was not done in time.

According to Laos’ Labour and Social Welfare Ministry, 7,636 Lao workers, who previously worked in Thailand without proper documents, returned home recently after Thai authorities took stricter measures to regulate illegal migrant workers. 

Temporary service centres set up in July at border checkpoints in nine provinces of Laos registered 7,636 workers. Lao officials said they would work with local employment agencies to help find jobs for those who have returned home and those wanting to work in Thailand will helped with their document requirements.