Migrant worker registration surpasses govt target on 1st day

BANGKOK, July 25 (TNA) – The number of illegal migrant workers registered with the Thai authorities reached 26,166 on the first of the 15-day registration period, surpassing the Minister of Labour’s target at about 15,000 per day. Meanwhile, the total of 8,885 employers submitted document to register their undocumented foreign workers yesterday. The registration service is available at about 100 centers across the country until Aug 7 to allow illegal workers to get their paperwork in order before the 180-day grace period, given by the government ends on Dec 31 this year. At least one center is set up in each province. More centers are established in provinces, where a large number of migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia are working. In Bangkok, there are 11 centers available, followed by four centers in the eastern province of Chonฺ Buri. Two centers are opened in each of these provinces – Tak, Pathum Thani, Rayong, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakorn and Surat Thani. According to the official figures of the Department of Employment, most migrant workers are in five provinces with the highest number of 243,982 people in Bangkok, followed by 175,612 in Pathum Thani, 151,727 in Samut Sakorn, 82,253 in Nonthaburi and 79,737 in Nakhon Pathom. About 1,480,000 migrant workers are recorded in Thailand with 243,982 living in Bangkok and the remaining 1.23 million are in provinces. (TNA)