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Labour Minister Meets to Prepare MOU Guideline for Submission to CCSA for Further Consideration

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         On September 13, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin chaired Foreign Worker Management Policy Committee Meeting No. 6/2021 to consider the guidelines for importing foreign workers through the MoU amid the COVID-19 pandemic and extending the operating hours of the Myanmar Workers Temporary Data Collection Center (TDCC). Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Labour Minister’s Advisor, Mrs. Thiwalrat Angkinan, Secretariat to the Labour Minister Mr. Suthep Chitayawong, Police Major General Nantachat Supamongkol from the Office of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, performing duties for the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics) Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol, the Department of Employment’s Director-General Pairoj Chotikasathian, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the meeting. Mr. Suchart revealed that the COVID-19 situation in Thailand must be monitored continuously. Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who supervises the Ministry of Labour, therefore assigned the Ministry of Labour, the Immigration Office, the Department of Provincial Administration, the Public Health Office, and other related agencies to work together to control the pandemic, while driving the country’s economy forward and employing migrant workers as appropriate, operating in parallel with the public health and security guidelines.

          “The Ministry of Labour has guidelines on managing migrant workers in the country, allowing them to stay and work following the Cabinet’s Resolution on December 29, 2020, and July 13, 2021. However, the survey on employers/enterprises’ demand for migrant workers still found the insufficient supply to meet the needs of employers. Today, the meeting has considered and approved to divide the group of migrants who are allowed to work with employers in the country into three groups. The groups include the green group, with completed two vaccinations for one month or longer, who will be allowed to travel to work with employers in the country first. They must show their vaccination passport. The yellow group, those who completed two doses of vaccinations but not yet completed one month, and the red group, those who have received one dose of vaccinations. Employers/establishments are responsible for the cost of quarantine, COVID-19 testing fees, and treatment fees (if the worker is infected with COVID-19). If the organization is in the social security system and is insured under Section 33, after the quarantine period, they will be vaccinated according to their insured persons’ rights. If they are not a Section 33 insured person, the employer will provide alternative vaccines to the aliens. The place of quarantine must be either state or private as approved by the Provincial Communicable Disease Committee. The operations of the TDCC center in Samut Sakhon will be extended for another year so that Myanmar workers can complete their identification documents, such as their passport (PP), without having to travel back to the country. This reduces the risk of spreading the COVID-19. It can be opened immediately after the Samut Sakhon Communicable Disease Committee approves,” said the Labour Minister.

          The Department of Employment’s Director-General Pairoj Chotiksathian said that employers/establishments who want to hire migrant workers under the MoU must apply to hire migrants to work with employers in the country at the Provincial Employment Office or the Bangkok Employment Office Area 1-10 located in the worker’s working area. The country of origin must prepare and submit a list of migrant workers to Thai employers for consideration. Employers/business establishments submitting applications for work permits on behalf of foreigners must pay a work permit fee (two years) in the amount of 1,900 Baht. When the migrant worker arrives in Thailand, evidence of COVID-19 testing must be presented at the immigration checkpoint, whereby the test must be via RT-PCR method, valid for not more than 72 hours. The migrant worker must be quarantined before starting to work and tested for COVID-19 by the RT-PCR method. If the test results do not pass, the worker must receive treatment whereby the employer is responsible for the expenses. When the quarantine period is over, and COVID-19 is not detected, or the worker is treated until they are cured, the migrant worker must show evidence of the medical certificate to receive a work permit. Workers who are insured under Section 33 will be vaccinated according to the rights of the insured person.

          For employers/establishments and migrant workers who have questions or want more information, they can contact the Provincial Employment Offices, Bangkok Employment Offices Areas 1-10, at LINE @Service_Workpermit or the Ministry of Labour’s 1506 hotline, press 2 for the Department of Employment, or directly at the Department of Employment’s hotline, call 1694, which provides interpreters in Cambodian, Myanmar, and English, to advise on how to proceed.

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Division of Public Relations
13 September 2021

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