Thailand to deport over 180,000 illegal migrant workers

BANGKOK, November 20 (TNA) - There are now more than 180,000 illegal migrant workers in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Labour plans to deport them to their home countries after the current nationality verification ends in mid December 2012. Prawit Kiang-phon, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Employment, said on Monday that there are now 184,000 migrant workers who have not yet passed the official nationality verification, 45,000 of whom are from Myanmar, 40,000 from Cambodia and about 99,000 are from Lao PDR. According to the senior official, after his ministry's current nationality verification period ends on December 14, there will be an official announcement for all migrant workers who remain illegal to immediately return to their home countries, or they will be seriously cracked down and deported based on the Thai Cabinet's resolution on April 26, 2011. (TNA)