Migrant labour from neighbouring countries now allowed to return

By The Nation

 

File Photo

 

The Ministry of Labour has been given the nod to allow migrant labour into the country and it has clarified on the guidelines. Department of Employment director-general Suchat Pornchaiwiseskul said that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Wednesday had approved bringing foreign labourers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to work as per the Department’s proposal.

 

CCSA has approved two groups of foreign workers:

 

▪︎ 69,235 foreign workers who have work permits and work visas who have requested a re-entry visa to return to the country and have not returned;

 

▪︎ 42,168 foreign workers who do not have a work permit and visa but whose employers have submitted a demand letter to the country of origin.

 

Both groups of foreign workers must obtain a certificate that facilitates entry into the Kingdom and a medical certificate (Fit to Travel).

 

In the case of a foreign worker with a re-entry visa and a work permit, after Immigration provides them an entry permit and visa, the foreign workers must undergo Covid-19 examination at the Disease Control checkpoint immediately and must be quarantined for 14 days at Alternate Local Quarantine (ALQ).

 

In the case of foreign workers who do not yet have a work permit submitted by the employer for re-entry, once the immigration checkpoint has checked the immigration permit, the workers must be tested for Covid-19 and undergo six health check-ups, buy a two-year health insurance (in case they do not have social security) or three months of health insurance (in case they have social security) and spend 14 days in ALQ.

 

During quarantine period, there will be training to give knowledge about regulations and living in Thailand to foreigners before starting work. Upon the expiration of 14 days in quarantine, the visa will be granted by the Immigration officer.

 

When both groups of migrant workers have been quarantined as required and no infection is found, employers can accept foreign workers to work including reporting to the provincial employment office in the area.

 

Cambodian workers are allowed to travel via Sa Kaeo province, Lao nationals via Nong Khai and Mukdahan provinces, Myanmar via Tak and Ranong provinces while Vietnamese workers must come by air and arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Employers and entrepreneurs are responsible for the cost of Covid-19 testing and the 14-day quarantine, approximately Bt13,200 to Bt19,300 per foreign worker, said Suchat.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391808

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-23

 

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I am sure the hundred of thousand of Thai people now out of job because of the

borders closure to the tourists will be very happy to know this news

With these rules I am sure the migrant worker que will be backed up to their country's capitol. And Viet Nam has to fly in to here? hahahahaha. what a joke. 

13 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

I am sure the hundred of thousand of Thai people now out of job because of the

borders closure to the tourists will be very happy to know this news

My thought when reading.

 

How can it be profitable to ship in labor to a country where labor is plentiful and cheap?  I guess indicates the other nations are much worse off than Thailand.

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

In the case of foreign workers who do not yet have a work permit submitted by the employer for re-entry, once the immigration checkpoint has checked the immigration permit, the workers must be tested for Covid-19 and undergo six health check-ups, buy a two-year health insurance (in case they do not have social security) or three months of health insurance (in case they have social security) and spend 14 days in ALQ.

Sheesh , if the new boss pays for that lot, they won't get any real wages until 2030

What was I just reading???

So foreign from different coundry have different rules! Ok all know they can't come if need insurance for 100000 $ and other sht, but that is racist!

4 hours ago, The Barmbeker said:

What was I just reading???

If you don´t know that, how is somebody else going to know?

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The Ministry of Labour has been given the nod to allow migrant labour into the country and it has clarified on the guidelines.

Oh great.

I was reading in a National newspaper this Morning that many of these Migrant Workers were to be Quarantines at their Employers locations.

Like thats going to happen.

Labour Prison Camps springs to mind as well.

.

Edited July 24, 20205 yr by tomazbodner

21 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

I was reading in a National newspaper this Morning that many of these Migrant Workers were to be Quarantines at their Employers locations.

Like thats going to happen.

Labour Prison Camps springs to mind as well.

Exactly where the second outbreak started in Singapore.

 

Migrant labour camps.

5 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I can see an amazingly high number of construction labour from Cambodia spending 100,000 baht on ASQ and fit to fly certificates. Who comes up with this?

Nobody came up with this, i suggest you read the article.

9 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Nobody came up with this, i suggest you read the article.

 

Both groups of foreign workers must obtain a certificate that facilitates entry into the Kingdom and a medical certificate (Fit to Travel).

In the case of a foreign worker with a re-entry visa and a work permit, after Immigration provides them an entry permit and visa, the foreign workers must undergo Covid-19 examination at the Disease Control checkpoint immediately and must be quarantined for 14 days at Alternate Local Quarantine (ALQ).

In the case of foreign workers who do not yet have a work permit submitted by the employer for re-entry, once the immigration checkpoint has checked the immigration permit, the workers must be tested for Covid-19 and undergo six health check-ups, buy a two-year health insurance (in case they do not have social security) or three months of health insurance (in case they have social security) and spend 14 days in ALQ.

 

I also saw this:

Employers and entrepreneurs are responsible for the cost of Covid-19 testing and the 14-day quarantine, approximately Bt13,200 to Bt19,300 per foreign worker, said Suchat.

 

But above doesn't include fit to fly certificate, visas, work permits, health insurance, etc. They are still looking at their 1 year plus wage to come in, and if I know anything about Thai "Employers and entrepreneurs" whatever is paid up-front will be deducted from their salaries so my point of this costing 100k baht or so still stands.

 

Which article do you suggest me to read?

17 hours ago, 86Tiger said:

My thought when reading.

 

How can it be profitable to ship in labor to a country where labor is plentiful and cheap?  I guess indicates the other nations are much worse off than Thailand.

Thais do not like to do the heavy and underpaid construction work . Did you ever see the conditions the burmese workers live in ?

Most Thais , even poor , do not want to live like that .

Thailands building industry is dependent on cheap burmese labour .

19 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Which article do you suggest me to read?

You said it will cost them 100k THB and they have to go into ASQ.

The article says it costs about 13-19k including ALQ.

 

19 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

But above doesn't include fit to fly certificate, visas, work permits, health insurance, etc.

They don't need a fit to fly certificate, just a fit to travel certificate. Probably quite similar to the medical certificate which we need to get for a driving license, last time i paid 80THB for mine.

Health insurance for migrant workers maybe 2-3k THB.

They always had to pay the costs for visas and work permits, costs about 2000 for the work permit and 1000 for the visa.

The employer has to pay about 15-21k and the employee about 3-4k THB, or 18-25k in total. Quite a difference from the 100k which you assumed.

 

Edited July 24, 20205 yr by jackdd

Well, with millions of Thais out of a job I wonder, why are they not hired instead of those migrant workers? Naahhhh, stupid me, Khon Thai would not work these jobs to start with, not for these conditions, working hours and meagre salaries from which exorbitant accomodation and food is being deducted. Or am I mixing up things again? 

18 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

I am sure the hundred of thousand of Thai people now out of job because of the

borders closure to the tourists will be very happy to know this news

perhas thailand needs them to do the jobs thai people don,t want to do.

Thais are too lazy to do these jobs, and they feel above this type of labour.r.

19 hours ago, webfact said:

The Ministry of Labour has been given the nod to allow migrant labour into the country and it has clarified on the guidelines.

Moving the required goalposts to allow migrant slaves back into the country...

while everyone else must comply with the most stringent tests and documents most of these will get a free pass and come straight in !

Slave labour... while Thais are pleading poverty on unemployment benefit!

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Employers and entrepreneurs are responsible for the cost of Covid-19 testing and the 14-day quarantine, approximately Bt13,200 to Bt19,300 per foreign worker, said Suchat.

Probably not worth the hassle.

hundreds of thousands of THAI people out of job, but migrant workers allowed, with no 100.000$ insurance or other stupid covid rules for richer farangs with money

19 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

I am sure the hundred of thousand of Thai people now out of job because of the

borders closure to the tourists will be very happy to know this news

They don't care as they don't want the dirty hard jobs in the first place .

You can see that at building sides the only ones that Work are the Foreigners .

The Thais just Wonder around and Look Busy. 

The Thais seem to be the ones that are In Charge /Foreman/Boss/instructor/leading Hand /Bludgers.

I can see this alternate local quarantine being the same accomodation that most of the Cambodian's always stay in here. A collection of odd huts, made of bamboo, corrugated iron, fertiliser sacks etc, in the bosses backyard, no way will it cost 13k baht. The local health official will visit and they will be working from day 2. The only issue will be how much freedom they have to wander round when they are not working, probably less. The insurance provided by the boss will be on an as required basis, ie if you get Covid, I'm dumping you back at the border with 500 baht ASAP.

Around my area lots of migrant workers have returned. Seen them a out planting rice...

 

Not a single on wearing a facemask...and all crowded together in the field and in the pick up trucks...again no masks.

 

If one of them had the virus it would spread quickly. 

 

No restrictions on where they can go either...plenty stopping off at the local village shops and little Thai bars. 

 

 

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

 

Both groups of foreign workers must obtain a certificate that facilitates entry into the Kingdom and a medical certificate (Fit to Travel).

In the case of a foreign worker with a re-entry visa and a work permit, after Immigration provides them an entry permit and visa, the foreign workers must undergo Covid-19 examination at the Disease Control checkpoint immediately and must be quarantined for 14 days at Alternate Local Quarantine (ALQ).

In the case of foreign workers who do not yet have a work permit submitted by the employer for re-entry, once the immigration checkpoint has checked the immigration permit, the workers must be tested for Covid-19 and undergo six health check-ups, buy a two-year health insurance (in case they do not have social security) or three months of health insurance (in case they have social security) and spend 14 days in ALQ.

 

I also saw this:

Employers and entrepreneurs are responsible for the cost of Covid-19 testing and the 14-day quarantine, approximately Bt13,200 to Bt19,300 per foreign worker, said Suchat.

 

But above doesn't include fit to fly certificate, visas, work permits, health insurance, etc. They are still looking at their 1 year plus wage to come in, and if I know anything about Thai "Employers and entrepreneurs" whatever is paid up-front will be deducted from their salaries so my point of this costing 100k baht or so still stands.

 

Which article do you suggest me to read?

 

no need for "fit to fly" as entry is overland

 

Health insurance is already addressed. Migrant workers are eligible for cover under the 30 baht scheme for a fee of about 1800 baht a year and it states they must purchase this unless covered under SS (as those employed by large companies might be).

BP article today says employers are protesting the costs of qwuarantine and health checks and asking government to absorb it.

1000s of Thais have returned from contract work around the world but they won't work for less than 300bht a day minus inferior accomodation and food. Thailands construction industry depends on immigrant labour and there has been no slowdown during Wuhan Flu. Somebody's got to earn those Contractor Profits and Profit' Shares'

Whatever, as far as I am concerned, it is good news for the many legal migrant workers from surrounding countries who can get back to employment in Thailand and provide funds for their families back home. When it comes to "unemployed Thais" please remember most of them would not apply for these manual jobs in the construction and food industries (as previously stated) due to the wages being paid and the type of work undertaken. Before anyone has a go at me about wages, Thai industry relies on these migrant workers and that is why they are being allowed back in - "greed" and "profit" comes to mind but TIT!!

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Both groups of foreign workers must obtain a certificate that facilitates entry into the Kingdom and a medical certificate (Fit to Travel).

And, of course a Certificate of Insurance giving minimum cover of US 100k against Covid19........