Migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, previously allowed to remain and work in the country temporarily, have now been given an extension of stay while they apply for new visas and work permits, the Ministry of Interior revealed on Tuesday.
The ministry has issued two new related announcements granting special permission to these migrant workers to extend their stay and continue working legally in Thailand, which were published in the Royal Gazette on Monday, said Traisuree Taisaranakul, secretary to Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and ministry spokeswoman, on Tuesday.
Taking effect retrospectively from Oct 1, the first announcement concerns workers from these four nations who are already in Thailand and previously permitted under a cabinet resolution made on July 5 to continue living and working here until Sept 30, she said.
The new announcement allows this specific group of migrant workers to continue staying and working in Thailand until Jan 20, 2024, during which applications submitted by their employers seeking legal permission for them to be able to continue living and working in Thailand until Feb 13, 2025, are being processed, Ms Traisuree said.
Children of these migrant workers who are aged under 18 are automatically allowed to stay on, while those over 18 have another 60 days from the day they turn 18 to apply for permission to work legally in Thailand, she said.
The second ministerial announcement, which came into effect on Tuesday, concerns a different group of migrant workers who are from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and who now live and work here under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the government and the government of these three countries, she said.
Under the new announcement, these so-called tri-nation MoU migrant workers whose four-year permission to live and work in the country is due to expire on Dec 31 are allowed to continue living here until April 30, 2024, she said.
Should they wish to continue working from Jan 1, 2024, to April 30, the same year, a work permit application must be submitted by their employer on their behalf, Ms Traisuree said.
As for those who want to stay on and continue working after April 30 next year, their employer will have to submit a new request for them once again, she said.