Suchat Pornchaiwiseskul, Director-General Department of Employment, prompts employees and premises owners to request work permits for four groups of three foreign workforce nationals, namely, Cambodian, Laotian, and Myanmar, in compliance
with the Cabinet resolution made on 4 August 2020. Foreign workforces required to proceed with the permit extension application are those who remain residing in Thailand with expired work permit. By obtaining a work permit extension, workers are allowed to stay in the country temporarily and continue working on unfinished projects until 31 October 2020. Overstayed foreign workers will be fined 100,000 baht.
The Department of Employment affirms employees and premises owners who employ the following groups:
1) Cambodian, Laotian, and Myanmar workers with four year contract according to the memorandum of understanding
2) Cambodian, Laotian, and Myanmar workers who have conducted self-identification and hold personal documentation including passport, Travel Document (TD), and Certificate of Identity terminated from 30 September 2019 to 30 June 2020, without extension according to Cabinet resolution on 4 August 2020
3) Cambodian, Laotian, and Myanmar workers under the contract according to the memorandum of understanding holding invalid work permit in compliance with Law Enforcement Section 50, 53, and 55 of Foreigners’ Working Management Emergency Decree, B.E. 2560 (2017) and other revised laws such as workers resigning from former employers without obtaining new employment within 30 days
4) Cambodian, Laotian, and Myanmar commuter workers or seasonal workers holding a Border Pass according to the Section 64 of Foreigners’ Working Management Emergency Decree are urged to proceed with application for work permit at Department of Employment by 31 October 2020 and other relevant procedures in order to remain in Thailand lawfully
Foreign workers under groups 1 to 3 are required to lodge the work permit application at a Provincial Employment Office or Employment Office in Bangkok areas 1 to 10, depending on the premises location, by 31 October 2020. The work permit will be valid from 1 November 2020 to 31 March 2022.
In the next stage, foreign workforces are required to proceed with health check-up, be issued health insurance by public hospitals assigned by the Ministry of Public Health (if no social security is obtained), and apply for a visa at an Immigration Office by 31 January 2021 to remain in the country temporarily.
In the final stage, workers are required to apply for a Pink ID Card for Foreigners with valid work permit on the reverse side at the Department of Provincial Administration from 1 February 2021 to 31 March 2021.
Commuter workers and seasonal workers holding a Boarder Pass are required to apply for a work permit at a Provincial Employment Office by 31 October 2020 and be issued health insurance by a public hospital assigned by the Ministry of Public Health (if no social security is obtained) by 31 January 2021. Work permits are valid for 3 months renewable no later than 31 March 2022.
Any foreign worker who works without a work permit, will be fined 5,000 to 50,000 baht and be deported to their country of origin. Employers will be fined 10,000 to 100,000 baht per illegal worker. Employees who commit repeated offences will be imprisoned for 1 year and be fined 50,000 to 200,000 baht per illegal worker, and are prohibited from employing foreign workers for 3 years.
For more information, please contact Provincial Employment Office, Employment Office Bangkok Area 1-10, or LINE: @Service_Workpermit, Ministry of Labour Hotline 1506 press 2.