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279645
Tue, 04/02/2013 - 11:55
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Thailand to extend permit issuance deadline for migrant workers

BANGKOK, April 2 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Labour will extend its deadline for employment permit issuance for migrant workers for four more months, after it ends on March 31, 2013. Pravit Khiengpol, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Employment, told journalists on Tuesday that his department has issued documents for the legal stay in Thailand for some 30,000 migrant workers so far but about 380,000 others have not yet received the documents and his department needs 120 days, after April 13, 2013, to finish the issuance of the legal employment permits for them, as each of its 12 service centers can issue the permits to only 500 migrant workers daily. Pravit acknowledged that 54,702 employers nationwide have sought permission to employ 414,820 migrant workers, comprising 279,020 from Myanmar, 47,112 from Laos and 88,688 from Cambodia, as well as 920 Myanmar followers, 756 Lao followers and 1,278 Cambodian followers. According to the senior official, his department will propose Labour Minister Padermchai Sasomsap to seek the Cabinet's approval at its meeting on April 9 for the 120-day extension of the document issuance period for the migrant workers, during which concerned officials will be ordered not to arrest the foreign workers who are waiting for the legal documents. The senior official insisted that there will be no extension of a period for the application of migrant employment quotas and there will be no protection of illegal migrant workers who will be arrested, if found, while their employers will be prosecuted. (TNA)

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