Migrant permit fee to be slashed
As a New Year gift to migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, the Cabinet yesterday issued a ministerial regulation to reduce the permit fee to only Bt500 - down from the current rate of Bt2,000.
Prime Minister’s Office deputy spokesperson Maj General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Cabinet approved an Interior Ministry proposal for a reduced fee, but this would first be submitted for the Council of State to consider before it is implemented.
The fee was related to the Interior Ministry’s previous announcement that migrant workers from the three countries – including fishery workers – should obtain temporary permits to stay in Thailand and undergo nationality identification. The reduced fee would also serve as an incentive to have migrant workers enter the system for better supervision and help tackle issues of migrant worker exploitation, illegal workers and negligence in helping them access labour welfare.
