Cabinet objects to harsh punishments in migrant worker law

By Chakkawan Salaytoo 
The Nation

 

File photo

 

The Cabinet has asked for a controversial decree regulating the foreign workforce to be adjusted by the Council of State before it is resubmitted for the Cabinet’s approval, Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Monday.

The decree presented by Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam still had a few points of concern, including unclear information about where workers would reside. Unlike the previous law that stated workers must reside on their employers’ premises, the new decree did not make any such stipulation, Sansern said. 

 

Prescribed punishments also did not seem to match violations, he added, with some, such as those for employing foreign workers in other jobs than registered, being too harsh.

 

The decree, which entails heavy fines for undocumented foreign workers and their employers, previously sparked a panic and reportedly prompted tens of thousands of foreign workers to flee Thailand. 

 

As a result in July, the government delayed implementing four sections of the decree for six months until next month to give both workers and their employers more time to get work permits.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30333166

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-05

Hmm... funny, the story doesn't mention that the decree came from the government itself.

 

Its like The Return of the Three Stooges.

The backpedalling begins.

Been to Klong Toi market the other day, the place is full of non Thai

workers and they were mostly doing the dirty chores of the market,

what will Thailand economy do without them? probably grind

to a screeching halt while other Thai workers are too busy

with their electronic devices and checking the status on social media.... 

An un-crackdown for a change

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The decree, which entails heavy fines for undocumented foreign workers and their employers, previously sparked a panic and reportedly prompted tens of thousands of foreign workers to flee Thailand. 

It was bad for business and poorly handled by the junta.  They could have consulted their Malaysian counter parts who handled the exact same problem with grace, but the junta knows better.  Malaysia had millions of undocumented workers.  Making avoidable mistakes seems to be the norm with the current government.