Eight South Korean nationals have been arrested for working as language teachers without permits during raids at two branches of a language school in Bangkok.
The raids took place on Thursday at a branch on Ratchadaphisek Road and another in a shopping mall in Bang Na, said Pol Maj Gen Prasart Khemaprasit, commander of the Immigration Bureau (IB). The name of the school was not disclosed.
Police apprehended six men and two women employed as Korean language teachers. They had entered Thailand legally, with most holding 90-day free visas while others were staying in the country through marriage to Thais. None of them had work permits, Pol Maj Gen Prasart said.
The learning area consisted of several classrooms, each equipped with whiteboards and TV screens. Officers found exercise books for students and brochures advertising various courses at different prices.
The suspects claimed they were hired by a Thai school owner, identified only as Wipha. They earned 200 baht per hour for online classes and 350 baht for on-site classes, receiving payment in cash or via mobile banking.
The longest working period among the suspects exceeded a year.
The Thai employer was charged with hiring foreign workers without permits under the Working of Alien Act.
The arrest was part of a collaborative effort between the IB and the Department of Employment to crack down on illegal foreign workers, Pol Maj Gen Prasart said.