The government's foreign labour committee resolved to propose to the National Council for Peace and Order a 120-day grace period for employers and migrant workers to abide by the new foreign labour decree, which imposes heavy fines on illegal foreigner employment.
After the meeting of the committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon at the Labour Ministry on Monday, Labour Minister Sirichai Distakul said that the committee would propose Prime Minister and NCPO chief Prayut Chan-o-cha exercise authority under Section 44 of the 2014 interim constitution to allow the grace period as a temporary relief.
The committee made the decision after some labour-intensive businesses faced sudden labour shortages after the law took effect on June 23. Employers have rejected illegal migrant workers who had to travel back to their homeland because of heavy fines of 400,000-800,000 baht per worker under the new law, which also penalises inconsistencies involving employers' names, workplaces or types of work in work permits.
The committee viewed that 120 days should be long enough for employers and migrant workers to comply with the new foreign labour law, Gen Sirichai said.
He also said that the fines of 400,000-800,000 baht were comparable to those of other offences involving illegal fishing labour, child labour and forced labour.
Gen Prawit said the NCPO would discuss the issue on Tuesday and the exodus of illegal migrant workers was slowing down.
Labour inspector-general Wiwat Jiraphanwanit said that since June 23, some 29,000 migrant workers had left Thailand through permanent border crossings but in the same period 60,000 migrant workers had been imported legally.
