Employers warned to renew registration of immigrant labourers by March-end

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said Thai employers were allowed to hire workers from the three neighbouring countries under three Cabinet resolutions dated August 20, 2019, August 4, 2020 and November 10, 2020. The Cabinet then issued another resolution on July 13, 2021 to extend the effect of the three previous resolutions.

Suchart said labourers from the three countries employed under these three resolutions must complete legal steps for renewal of their registrations within the end of this month so that they would be eligible to be hired in the country until February 13, 2023.

The employers of immigrant workers, who are hired under the August 4, 2020 resolution, must inform the authorities to update the status of their workers and obtain their immigrant ID card by March 31, Suchart added.

Department of Employment director-general Pairoj Chotikasathien said there are about 11,000 immigrant workers who need to update their registrations and receive the immigrant ID card.

Pairoj said the Cabinet is mostly concerned about this group because if their registrations are not updated and completed by March 31, they would not be eligible to stay in the Kingdom.

Pairoj said employers who hired unregistered immigrants could be fined from Bt10,000 to Bt100,000 per illegal immigrant. If the employers are caught repeating the same mistake, the fine would be doubled and they would be subject to a maximum jail term of three years.

An illegal immigrant will be subject to a fine of Bt5,000 to Bt50,000 if he or she is arrested working in Thailand without registration and immigrant ID card and will also face deportation.