The Labour Ministry has urged the South Korean government to offer an amnesty to 150,000 illegal Thai workers and legalise their work status, Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday.
Mr Phiphat said he met with Employment and Labour Minister Lee Jeong-sik in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss the situation.
At least 7,000 Thais who were working in the country illegally were repatriated last year, he said, adding the remaining number puts Thais top among all the foreigners working illegally in South Korea.
Most of them immigrated to South Korea legally but became illegal workers once they changed employers, Mr Phiphat said.
He proposed the amnesty to Mr Lee, explaining that most of those labourers have lived in the country for at least three to four years and have developed essential skills, including the Korean language.
He asked to help them gain legal work permits.
Skills tests could even be conducted by the Korean authorities before such permits are granted, Mr Phiphat suggested.
He admitted the possibility of such an amnesty is slim.
The Korean minister reportedly expressed some concerns and said he would discuss the issue with the Justice Ministry and Immigration Bureau.
The two men also discussed bringing in Thai labourers on E7, E8, and E9 visas.
Mr Phiphat said the Korean government appreciated the quality of Thai workers but suggested their language skills be improved so they could communicate better with their employers.
Sending more labourers to work in Korea's agriculture and fishery industries was also discussed, Mr Phiphat revealed, noting that four memorandums of understanding (MoU) were signed.
Meanwhile, when quizzed on rumours that Japan's visa-free policy for Thai travellers would soon be cancelled due to the spike in illegal workers there, the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry's Consular Affairs Department said it was due to expire next year. It is not known if Tokyo will extend it.
Mr Phiphat will be in Japan next month to discuss such issues.