Crackdown ordered for officials who overcharge Myanmar migrant workers in applying for work permits

By Thai PBS

 

 

Labour Minister General Sirichai Distakul has ordered a crackdown on unscrupulous labour officials or brokers who demand under-the-table fees from Myanmar migrant workers at all one-stop service centres (OSS).

 

Labour Employment Department chief  Waranont Pitiwan said that the minister’s order followed numerous complaints from Myanmar migrant workers who approached the OSS in Samut Sakhon to have their citizenship certified so they would be issued with CIs (certificates of identification) after which they will apply for Thai visas, to have their health checked so that they can work in Thailand.

 

According to most of the complaints, the migrant workers claimed that they were made to pay a total of 2,800 baht for the services in order to apply for visas, but they were given receipts showing figures of only 1,800 baht by officials at the OSS in Samut Sakhon. They said no clarification was given to them by the officials about the discrepancy of the actual amount of fees paid and the figures shown on the receipts.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/crackdown-ordered-officials-overcharge-myanmar-migrant-workers-applying-work-permits/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-10-16

Did anyone not see this coming?

 

You bring in a new law on short notice with little publicity. Next, you make the penalties incredibly severe. Then you set up a system of registration that is complicated and time-consuming. 

 

This entire process was virtually guaranteed to lead to corruption and pay-offs.

 

"Mr Waranont said any Myanmar migrant worker who were overcharged should immediately notify authorities concerned so that actions would be taken against the corrupt officials or the brokers."

 

People who do not have legal documents to be here aren't going to report abuse to the authorities. The most likely outcome of making a complaint is deportation.

 

Idiocy all around...

 

During September 15-October 14, 92,305 Myanmar migrant workers have been issued with work permits.

At 1000 Baht a time under the table I make that 92,000,000 Baht. Nice little earner, thank you very much........

I start to wonder why there is sooooooooo much petty corruption going on in these governments, elected or not. Everybody is on the take and exploitation is taking place everywhere. 

Watch out - the day will come and this will backfire - big time; just wait and see! 

Corrupt officials ? Must be a joke article.

A crackdown more than likely as a result of the 'corruption' money not reaching the higher echelons of the Labour Employment Department. The crackdown will be forgotten when the upward cash flow is resumed.

Clearly an example of Trumpian 'fake news' ?

 

But to be more serious, the Burmese migrant-workers have IME been preyed-upon for many years, by the local authorities & BiBs. 

 

This is by-no-means the first crack-down on them, when one aim of ASEAN ought surely to be to make it easier, for labour to move to where it's most needed ?