Labour Ministry denies presence of illegal Chinese workers
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NO ILLEGAL Chinese workers have been found by the Nakhon Ratchasima Job Placement Office
Theerapol was responding to former Democrat party-list MP Watchara Petthong, who said he had received complaints from residents that Chinese companies were employing Chinese engineers, including 800 workers in Nakhon Ratchasima, 600 in Buri Ram, and unspecified numbers in Kanchanaburi and Sa Kaew.
The politician said the Chinese companies had received approvals to set up factories from the Board of Investment.
But Theerapol said employers of migrant workers who do not have work permits face fines up to Bt100,00 per person, while the workers face up to five years in jail, a fine of Bt100,000 – or both.
As of Monday, the number of Chinese workers in Thailand was 18,067, with 12,825 classified under Article 9 of the Employment of Alien Workers Act 2008, including 120 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 54 in Buri Ram, 30 in Kanchanaburi and 21 in Sa Kaew.
The other 5,242 people were classified under Article 12, including 36 in Nakhon Ratchasima. No Article 12 workers were registered in Buri Ram, Kanchanaburi or Sa Kaew.
Article 9 stipulates that foreigners working in Thailand must reside in the country. They must enter the country on non-immigrant visas, not tourist or transit visas. And they are barred from 39 occupations that are stipulated in Royal Decree 1979.
Article 12 allows foreigners to work in the country under investment-promotion or other related laws, such as the Investment Promotion Act 1977, the Industrial Estate of Thailand Act 1979 and the Petroleum Act 1971.
Foreigners working under Article 12 are exempt from Royal Decree 1979 regarding restricted occupations.
The Labour Ministry requests people to report illegal foreign workers by calling 1694.
