Arrest warrants are being sought for smugglers of illegal migrant workers.

The smugglers’ assets also will be seized as a crackdown continues against people entering the country illegally to find work following the Nov 1 reopening.

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said the ministry has asked assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Surachet Hakparn to seek warrants for smuggling gangs; the Anti-Money Laundering Office will be asked to seize their assets.

Mr Suchart further pointed out that migrant workers can in fact enter the country legally under newly agreed memorandums of understanding (MoUs). 

Imported labour based on previous MoUs with neighbouring countries has been suspended since March of last year. Businesses and industries have since faced shortages, prompting some to hire illegal migrants, Mr Suchart said.

"Rest assured that the problem will be fixed shortly," Mr Suchart said on Tuesday, adding the ministry’s decision to bring in migrant workers under the MoUs was based in part on the present availability of sufficient vaccine doses.

The workers will be quarantined for 14 days and be inoculated shortly before completing their quarantine, Mr Suchart said.

Between 50,000-80,000 migrant workers are expected to arrive under these pacts initially, he noted.

Earlier, on Monday, Mr Suchart revealed there was a surging demand for workers, with several industries such as the construction and frozen food industries in need of about 200,000 foreign labourers.

Meanwhile in Kanchanaburi, police and soldiers arrested 218 people who had crossed over from Myanmar illegally in Sangkhla Buri district on Tuesday, a record for the district this year.

They were seen waiting in a palm plantation by a local resident near the border in Ban Huai Kob village in tambon Nong Lu.

Most were waiting to be transported to jobs in tambon Maha Chai of Samut Sakhon province or Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Ratchaburi, Bangkok and Prachuap Khiri Khan. Some expected to work in Kanchanaburi.

Each had paid THB 25,000-26,000 to job brokers.