Burmese worker cant renew expired passport

[seajae]

We have been fortunate enough to find a really great worker, problem is their passport has expired and the Myanmar govt are not renewing any passports. We need to get them an extension of stay as well as extend their work permit but are not sure how to go about it, does anyone know if immigration are allowing Burmese workers to get extensions seeing their govt is refuing to renew any passports, they have been in Thailand for many years with their partner(passport also expired) & children that were born in Thailand, Any help would be appreciated

[ThailandRyan]

Not sure where you have been trying to get the new passport, but the Bangkok Embassy started to re-issue them just a few weeks back, and many had ques they had been issued back last September.  My GF needed a new passport as almost all of those from Myanmar's passports expired in November of last year, 2022.  I used an agent in Nonthaburi to secure a seat on a van that they took up to Chiang Mai as the consulate back in October was the only place where they would do a new PJ passport for workers.  The issue is they were only doing 200 appointments a day and it took 2 weeks for the passport to be returned to the agent along with the new one.

 

The other issue is that work permits need to be renewed as well as most of them are expiring this week.  The Government has given an extension until May to obtain the work permits for those on a Non L-A Visa extension, and they can be issued for either 1 year or 2 years depending on the type of work.

 

I went through the exact same issue with my housekeeper and now all is good, New Passport and 2 year work permit which are now digital.

[seajae]

7 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Not sure where you have been trying to get the new passport, but the Bangkok Embassy started to re-issue them just a few weeks back, and many had ques they had been issued back last September.  My GF needed a new passport as almost all of those from Myanmar's passports expired in November of last year, 2022.  I used an agent in Nonthaburi to secure a seat on a van that they took up to Chiang Mai as the consulate back in October was the only place where they would do a new PJ passport for workers.  The issue is they were only doing 200 appointments a day and it took 2 weeks for the passport to be returned to the agent along with the new one.

 

The other issue is that work permits need to be renewed as well as most of them are expiring this week.  The Government has given an extension until May to obtain the work permits for those on a Non L-A Visa extension, and they can be issued for either 1 year or 2 years depending on the type of work.

 

I went through the exact same issue with my housekeeper and now all is good, New Passport and 2 year work permit which are now digital.

thanks mate, appreciate that, trouble will be getting to Bangkok but at least geing able to renew them is good news

[zzzzz]

13 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Not sure where you have been trying to get the new passport, but the Bangkok Embassy started to re-issue them just a few weeks back, and many had ques they had been issued back last September.  My GF needed a new passport as almost all of those from Myanmar's passports expired in November of last year, 2022.  I used an agent in Nonthaburi to secure a seat on a van that they took up to Chiang Mai as the consulate back in October was the only place where they would do a new PJ passport for workers.  The issue is they were only doing 200 appointments a day and it took 2 weeks for the passport to be returned to the agent along with the new one.

 

The other issue is that work permits need to be renewed as well as most of them are expiring this week.  The Government has given an extension until May to obtain the work permits for those on a Non L-A Visa extension, and they can be issued for either 1 year or 2 years depending on the type of work.

 

I went through the exact same issue with my housekeeper and now all is good, New Passport and 2 year work permit which are now digital.

That was NOV 2022> since than the embassy has STOPPED issuing new passports or renewing old ones last month

https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-stops-issuing-passports.html

WE just got my back my wife's Non La-A visa here in phuket, converted from a tourist visa entry in nov, the new visa & WP are ONLY valid for 1 year and the wp is a credit  card sized card.
please show this new digital visa as its news to me

speaking with the agent, this will create a huge upcoming problem

[ThailandRyan]

51 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

That was NOV 2022> since than the embassy has STOPPED issuing new passports or renewing old ones last month

https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-stops-issuing-passports.html

WE just got my back my wife's Non La-A visa here in phuket, converted from a tourist visa entry in nov, the new visa & WP are ONLY valid for 1 year and the wp is a credit  card sized card.
please show this new digital visa as its news to me

speaking with the agent, this will create a huge upcoming problem

Unfortunately that's Phuket. My housekeepers daughter, and her niece just last week obtained there new work permits here in Hua Hin, both for two years. They also picked up their passports at the Embassy in Bangkok the 2nd week of January after the Embassy had updated the computer systems at the Embassy. This was the reason they gave late last year for not doing new passports and why my GF and Housekeeper, using an agent in Nonthaburi, were driven to the Chiang Mai consulate where they did their new passport applications. 2 weeks later they had their new passports and the agent took them to Div 1 in BKK where the old Stamps were moved to the new PP.

 

In January, since their extensions were expiring on Feb 13th along with the work permits, I hired an agent here in PKK/Hua Hin who obtained a two year extension for them based upon the Non L-A, and then obtained the new digital 2 year work permits, of which I have all copies off. Sorry if your having a hard time believing this.  Yes a foreigner can also hire a worker from Myanmar while on a retirement Visa/extension of stay and does not need a work permit themselves as many will try and tell you.

 

Looks like you link is indicative of something happening now but getting the passport is still possible according to the agent we used. My GF's brother is in the process now with the agent.

[ThailandRyan]

41 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

That was NOV 2022> since than the embassy has STOPPED issuing new passports or renewing old ones last month

https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-stops-issuing-passports.html

WE just got my back my wife's Non La-A visa here in phuket, converted from a tourist visa entry in nov, the new visa & WP are ONLY valid for 1 year and the wp is a credit  card sized card.
please show this new digital visa as its news to me

speaking with the agent, this will create a huge upcoming problem

Here is the new passport with her Stamps, the digital work permit I need to delete personal info on it before posting.

[zzzzz]

ahhh i see ur first extension was 1 year but the second was 2:
maybe that will happen with us next year

as this new L-A visa was after we spent 16 months living back in Cambodia> 
her previous L-A visas/extensions were always 2 years

[ThailandRyan]

11 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

ahhh i see ur first extension was 1 year but the second was 2:
maybe that will happen with us next year

as this new L-A visa was after we spent 16 months living back in Cambodia> 
her previous L-A visas/extensions were always 2 years

Her last 3 extensions were for 1 year, but the first one was given in 2018 and was for 2 years on the Non L-A. It seems they should all be for 2 years but immigration and the agents are making money by making them jump through the hoops yearly. The medical that must be completed is good for 2 years and you have to also pay for a Health Insurance policy.  As I will be marrying my partner soon I will convert her extension to one as a dependent based upon my having received the new LTR visa. Tired of the constant issues.  Good luck with the passport.

 

[kingstonkid]

These links may shed some light for you.

 

https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/thousands-face-a-nervous-wait-as-junta-freezes-passport-renewals/

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2488782/may-deadline-for-work-permit

[ThailandRyan]

From talking to my GF and her family, the passports have been cut off in Myanmar, but some locations outside are still issuing them, much like I indicated, but the door on that could also shut. The Myanmar government seems to want all there people to return to Myanmar, but then there are few jobs available.  It is not just the war that's made people leave.

[pookiki]

The underlying problem is that the junta knows that the vast majority of migrant workers are financially supporting the National Unity Government (NUG) and the People's Defense Force (PDF).  The junta reasons that it can impact the financial aid to the NUG and PDF by curtailing the issuance of passports. This will only result in more undocumented migrants who will be extorted in Thailand instead of being helped.  I would also expect that all Myanmar migrants in Thailand will soon be required to repatriate a 'minimum' amount of their earnings to Myanmar via a 'government' bank to keep their work permit.

[seajae]

update  - local immigration office said they may be able to help, they said that there are a lot of Burmese workers in the same boat currently and that they will let us know when they are holding their next work shop where they can issue certificates. Virtually all the Burmese workers passports are over a year expired, many longer but at least immigration is prepared to help.

[zzzzz]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

update  - local immigration office said they may be able to help, they said that there are a lot of Burmese workers in the same boat currently and that they will let us know when they are holding their next work shop where they can issue certificates. Virtually all the Burmese workers passports are over a year expired, many longer but at least immigration is prepared to help.

according to my agent in Phuket this is not true,  she deals with thousands of Burmese here and most have valid passports
BUT most will have trouble later in the year if they cant renew

[ThailandRyan]

45 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

according to my agent in Phuket this is not true,  she deals with thousands of Burmese here and most have valid passports
BUT most will have trouble later in the year if they cant renew

Remember some agents sometimes have better contacts. I went through 4 in BKK who said I could not hire a Myanmar worker unless I had a work permit. They were wrong. Finally found an agent in Nonthaburi who could do the paperwork and my housekeeper obtained a blue work permit book, this time the same agent got her her passport as I indicated and we just did the work permit here in Hua Hin. My GFs brother was just given his new work permit via his employer in Bangkok, last week.

 

Many times in the past the work permit offices do just Myanmar workers during a certain time.

 

Let me know if you need my agent in BKKs info @seajae

 

PM sent.

[seajae]

thanks again mate, as for the "agent" comments, our information was from the person we deal with in our local immigration centre, would imagine agents would want this to be not true as it will take away a lot of their profits if they are not needed. The biggest problem with many Burmese is that they cannot read or write thai so are unable to fill in forms etc, our worker/s and their kids do not have a last name either, kids were not registered at birth in Thailand because their parents cannot read/write thai but my wife has also sorted this out and got them into school. They are dirt poor because agents have been ripping them off blind of all their money  so they can stay in Thailand along with the other Burmese they know and they didnt know any better or how to get away from it but with my wifes help they will finally be sorted out which is why I imagine many agents that deal with Burmese will be extremely upset and try to deny it can be done as they will lose all the money they make from them so easily. As for valid passports they havent been able to get them for a few years as the thugs that took over the country will not issue them so many have expired which is the big problem but it is being sorted out, our local immigration has already done a workshop previously to help them and another will be done soon so work permits etc can be issued.