The Labour Ministry has extended the deadline for Lao, Myanmar and Vietnamese workers to complete work-permit renewal requirements until March 31, 2026. The decision aims to prevent hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from falling out of the legal system and becoming undocumented. The previous deadline had been set for February 24, 2026.
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The extension was approved during the February 2026 meeting of the Foreign Workers’ Management Policy Committee, chaired by Labour Minister Treenuch Thienthong. Attendees included the deputy permanent secretary of labour, the director-general of the Department of Employment, senior Labour Ministry officials, and representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Public Health, Internal Security Operations Command, National Security Council and the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting addressed obstacles in the work-permit application process under the Cabinet resolution dated November 11, 2025. Issues included submission of health-insurance documents, completion of medical checks and payment of the 900-baht work-permit fee.
According to Treenuch, 375,038 workers out of a total of 890,786 have yet to complete the renewal process. She warned that failure to resolve the delays could result in foreign nationals becoming unlawfully employed.
“This could cause foreign nationals to become unlawfully employed, meaning employers and workplaces would be unable to hire legally, leading to labour shortages in the business sector and affecting production and national labour stability,” Treenuch said.
She added that the committee had carefully considered the reasons, necessity and potential impacts of the extension. The Labour Ministry will now submit the meeting’s outcome to the Cabinet for further consideration and approval.
Treenuch also instructed the Department of Employment to urgently draft a Labour Ministry notification granting special permission for Lao, Myanmar and Vietnamese nationals to continue working in Thailand. The notification will align with the Cabinet resolution of November 11, 2025 and is to be completed as quickly as possible.
The Nation reported that the extension is intended to maintain workforce stability while administrative issues are resolved and to ensure employers can continue operating legally without disruption.
Picture courtesy of The Nation
Key Takeaways
• The work-permit renewal deadline for Lao, Myanmar and Vietnamese workers has been extended to March 31, 2026.
• 375,038 of 890,786 eligible workers have not yet completed the process.
• The Labour Ministry will submit the extension for Cabinet approval and draft a special permission notification.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 22 Feb 2026