The Foreign Worker Management Policies Committee proposed establishing five Myanmar Official Certificate of Identity (CI) Centers in Thailand and a mobile service center to resolve issues around the expiration of foreign passports, as foreigners are unable to return to the country of origin for renewal.
On March 24, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklim chaired the Foreign Worker Management Policies Committee No. 2/2021. Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol, the Department of Employment’s Director-General Mr. Suchart Pornchaiwisetkun and relevant agencies attended the meeting at the Thien Achakul meeting room, 10th floor, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour. The meeting considered applying for establishing five Myanmar Official Certificate of Identity (CI) Centers in Thailand, including one in Ranong Samut Prakan, Chiang Mai, Samut Sakhon, and Chonburi. If necessary, mobile services will be provided in addition to the five centers above as well.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused Thailand and neighboring countries sending workers to work in Thailand, to announce public health and disease control measures, which must be strictly observed for safety. However, the inability to travel cross-borders, as usual, has inevitably affected the management of foreign workers. The Ministry of Labour has prepared guidelines to cope with this problem by establishing a Myanmar Official Certificate of Identity (CI) Centers in Thailand. The first in Samut Sakhon, in the same area as the Temporary Data Collection Center (TDCC). In the future, there will centers established increasingly in various provinces by about three to five places as needed. Cambodia’s official part will send a team of staff to extend the travel document (TD) by attaching a 2-year sticker in the old book at the Cambodian Embassy in Thailand. Cambodian workers can apply via the electronic system. Laotian workers with passports close to expiration can contact the Embassy of Laos in Thailand to change to a new book at. This will prevent foreign workers who have followed the Cabinet’s resolution and hold expired or expiring identification documents to have illegal status. On this subject, Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, have consistently emphasized and monitored the progress as it may affect international relations, security issues, human trafficking, and labour shortages,” said the Labour Minister.
The Department of Employment’s Director-General Mr. Suchart Pornchaiwisetkun spoke about cases where a foreigner uses a passport or substitute document allowing them to work in Thailand gradually expires and the foreign worker cannot travel back to their country of origin to renew their passport or substitute documents. This is an urgent issue for the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Interior, and the three countries’ responsible authorities (Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar). They have to work together to discuss ways to deal with the possible complications. Because for foreign workers of the three nationalities to work and stay in the Kingdom legally, their identity documents must be complete before proceeding with the visa application for temporary stay in the Kingdom, following immigration laws.
Those who want to inquire about the procedure for obtaining a work permit for foreigners can contact the Provincial Employment Office, the Bangkok Employment Office Bangkok Area 1 – 10, at Line @Service_Workpermit or via the Ministry of Labour’s 1506 hotline, press 2 for the Department of Employment, or the Department of Employment’s 1694 hotline, where interpreters are available in Cambodian, Myanmar and English languages, who can advise on the processes.
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Division of Public Relations
24 March 2021
