Police charge 156 under migrant workers laws

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

AUTHORITIES have taken legal action against 156 employers, nearly 10 per cent of those checked by police, for alleged offences related to migrant workers between July 1 and July 15.
 

Over the same period, 816 migrant workers were arrested on related offences. 

 

Police have formed 113 teams to inspect employers after the latest registration and nationality-verification period for migrant workers expired at the end of June.

 

“More checks will be conducted,” Employment Department director-general Anurak Tossarat revealed the other day. 

 

He said during the first half of July, 119 employers were charged with hiring migrants who had no work permits or for jobs not allowed by their work permits. 

 

If convicted, these employers will be liable to a fine of between Bt10,000 and Bt100,000 for each migrant they had hired. 

 

Over the same period, other employers were charged with sheltering illegal migrants. If convicted, they will be fined up to Bt50,000 and punished with a jail term of up to five years. 

 

Several employers were also charged with sheltering migrant workers without informing applicable authorities. This offence is punishable by a fine up to Bt2,000. 

 

Anurak added that 687 illegal migrant workers were arrested on charges of working without a work permit between July 1 and July 15. 

 

“This offence is punishable [under a foreign-labour law] by a fine ranging between Bt5,000 and Bt50,000. After paying the fine, the migrants are deported. They will also be barred from seeking a work permit from Thailand for the next two years,” he said. 

 

Some migrants were also arrested for being in Thailand illegally, Anurak said. This offence is punishable by a fine of up to Bt20,000 and a jail term of up to two years. 

 

As well, those overstaying their visa, will be fined Bt5,000, Anurak said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30351480

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-06

They're dragging their heels on this. I expected a stampede of fleeing 'illegals' to happen within the first week or two of July when the new rules came into play.

 

I still expect an 'exodus', it's just a matter of when it will happen.

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

If convicted, these employers will be liable to a fine of between Bt10,000 and Bt100,000 for each migrant they had hired. 

"If convicted"

 

These are the two key words. I think it is unlikely that they will be convicted, but rather that somewhere along the line the case will be dropped; this reeks of the Thai practice of creating draconian laws with hefty penalties which are never actually carried out. 

 

Were these penalties actually implemented (rather than sorting the matter through the traditional and proverbial 'brown envelop' method) the migrants would simply leave in droves, again.

 

 More show for the media...

 

This is a really good time for cambodians , and burmese to start taking an interest in the economic development of their own countries. Employers have to pay 10,000 baht per worker per work permit. The immigrants have to pay insurances visa fees, travel costs. It will probably be more economical for factory owners to set up in the neighboring countries. 

 

Just trying to make a living your honour 

13 minutes ago, greenchair said:

This is a really good time for cambodians , and burmese to start taking an interest in the economic development of their own countries. Employers have to pay 10,000 baht per worker per work permit. The immigrants have to pay insurances visa fees, travel costs. It will probably be more economical for factory owners to set up in the neighboring countries. 

 

+ they all tend  to leave  without any notice making employing them a nightmare..........so i stopped  doing it, but it makes finding a  Thai to do the job ( basically  bone idle) very hard.

after paying the fine by the employer.. the migrant will be deported..   poor souls are going to be stuck locked up forever unless the employer pays the fines.  where lies the logic in this.. the way it is written the employer can drag his are as long as he wants with no repercussions for not paying in a timely manner. all the while the migrant suffers horribly waiting

Let me know when the first employer gets a jail sentence will you.

 

but the good news is another bag of cash and diamonds found in a meter taxi have been returned