Dateline for nationality verification of migrant workers in Thailand set by end of 2017

BANGKOK, September 15 (TNA) - The Ministry of Labour has set the dateline by the end of this year for migrant workers in Thailand to complete their nationality verification and to seek their work permits, or they will face legal action, if arrested. Labour Ministry Deputy Spokeswoman Petcharat Sin-uay told journalists of the legal process on Friday, warning that strict inspections will be launched by her ministry after the December 31 dateline and those who are found not having passed the legal process will be arrested and fined, as stated in the new Thai law. The deputy spokeswoman said that the legal process is required for migrant workers from neighboring Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar who have already passed an ongoing official check of their true relations with their employers in Thailand. The deputy spokeswoman explained that for legal Lao migrant workers who have passed the official screening need to seek a certificate issued by the Lao Embassy in Thailand before returning to their home country for an official nationality verification and arrive back in Thailand under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Thai and the Lao governments. For Myanmar and Cambodian migrant workers, they can verify their nationality at one stop service centers (OSSCs), opened by the end of this month in eight Thai provinces for Myanmar migrant workers, including Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Tak, Nakhon Sawan, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Ranong and Songkhla, and in two provinces for Cambodian migrant workers, including Rayong and Songkhla. According to official statistics, about 700,000, out of 720,000 migrant workers from the three neighboring countries totally, have already passed the official check of their true relations with their employers in Thailand, remaining over 74,000 of them who have not yet turned out for the check, while 180,751, out of 198,332 local employers totally have turned out for the official check, which has been opened from August 8 to September 16, 2017. Meanwhile, eight out of 110 centers set up for the official screening of relations between employers and migrant workers have still been opened, including those in Nonthaburi, Suphan Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chon Buri,Tak, Lamphun and Nakhon Si Thammarat. (TNA)