March 10, 2026 – Ms. Trinuch Thienthong, Minister of Labour, revealed that the Cabinet has approved an extension of the deadline for renewing work permits for more than 370,000 migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam until March 31, 2026, from the previous deadline of February 24, 2026. This measure aims to prevent these workers from falling out of the system and becoming undocumented, as well as to avoid disruptions to businesses and the labour market, particularly to the country’s economic momentum.
The Labour Minister further explained that the Cabinet resolution also extends the deadline for passport preparation or substitute travel documents, as well as for visa processing, from June 24, 2026, to July 31, 2026. As a result, the affected workers will be granted temporary relief once the relevant notifications from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour come into force.
In the meantime, employers and businesses with workers of these three nationalities are advised to follow updates on the Ministry of Labour website at www.mol.go.th and the Department of Employment website at www.doe.go.th, or contact the Ministry of Labour hotline at 1506 (press 2) for further information.
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