Mawlamyine, July (9)
The Thai government has confirmed that it will issue work permits (pink ID cards) to Myanmar migrant workers who cross the border illegally.
Thailand announced on July 5 that it will offer work permits called ‘pink ID cards’ to undocumented workers who entered its territory and worked illegally from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The issuance of work permits to illegal workers is to meet the demand for the country’s labor, the experts said.
“This is an opportunity for Myanmar migrant workers. The Thai government, on the other hand, wants to boost the country’s economy beyond COVID-19. It is a sign that things will be going well for the asylum seekers who are waiting for job opportunities in Thailand,” the Migrant Workers’ Rights Network (MWRN) adviser, U Aung Kyaw said.
Employers must apply to the Department of Employment in Thailand within 60 days in order to get work permits. It costs 100 baht for registration and 900 baht for applying for work permits, for a total of 1,000 baht.
The pink ID card issued by the Thai government will be valid until February 2023 and can be extended for another two years.
For the time being, the Thai government accepts migrant workers according to the MOU system, but migrants from Myanmar cross the border illegally almost daily.
The average number of Myanmar migrants crossing the border into Thailand is between 3,000 and 4,000 a month, according to the official data published by Thailand.
News – Than Lwin Times