Thailand Arrests over 100,000 Undocumented Workers, Including 80,000 Myanmar Nationals

[webfact]

 

In a significant crackdown, the Thai Ministry of Labour has announced the arrest of more than 100,000 undocumented foreign workers within the past 36 days. The massive operation forms part of a 120-day initiative aiming to curb illegal employment across Thailand.

 

The operation, launched on June 5, targeted various businesses and industries nationwide. According to the Department of Employment, Immigration Department, and police, joint inspection teams visited sites such as shops in Huai Khwang, Bangkok, coconut factories in Ratchaburi, restaurants in Udon Thani, and construction sites in Chachoengsao.

 

The sweep resulted in the detention of 108,875 undocumented workers. A significant majority of the arrested individuals, 80,913 to be precise, were Myanmar nationals. Other nationals included 16,507 Cambodians, 7,804 Laotians, 104 Vietnamese, and 3,547 workers from various other countries.

 

The Thai government outlined strict penalties for both undocumented workers and their employers. Workers without proper documentation or work permits, or those engaged in unauthorized jobs, face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht. In addition, they will be deported and banned from re-entering Thailand for employment purposes for two years.

 

Employers caught hiring undocumented workers will be subject to fines between 10,000 to 100,000 baht per worker. Repeat offences carry the possibility of up to one year in prison, as well as fines from 50,000 to 200,000 baht. Furthermore, repeat offenders will be banned from employing migrant workers for three years.

 

The announcement underscores Thailand's stringent measures to regulate its workforce, aiming to ensure legal employment practices and safeguard economic stability. As the 120-day operation continues, more arrests and penalties are expected, indicating the Government's commitment to cracking down on illegal employment.

 

File photo for reference only. Courtesy Prachachat

 

-- 2024-07-18

 

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[retarius]

Don't the BMW Smart cars work on Burmese?

[sidneybear]

100,000, all at the same time? That's going to cause even more damage to businesses. 

[redwood1]

So whos going to be doing all the work now?....You hardly ever see Thais at construction sites.....They all want to be social media influencers...

[Korat Kiwi]

And where are they holding/detaining these 108,875 undocumented workers? 

 

That's one big building!  An average of 3064 people a day over the last 36 days.  I suppose that's possible. 

 

Who is going to replace these workers? Are the businesses going to survive? 

 

So many questions about this 'round up' will go unanswered. 

[stoner]

18 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

I suppose that's possible. 

 

2 people every minute. this is thailand we are talking about right. 

[ChrisY1]

Quite an unbelievable story....IMO. total fiction and an infantile PR stunt on behalf of Immigration. As mentioned, where do they house, feed and care for all these people....then fine them up to 50,000baht....laughable!

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

80,913 to be precise, were Myanmar nationals.

The Junta must be desperate.

Convincing Thailand to send them home to be press ganged into the army.

All that fresh cannon fodder. Sad

[phetphet]

No farangs? Unless they come under "from various other countries."

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

Don't the BMW Smart cars work on Burmese?

I suspect by now, none of them work...

[herfiehandbag]

Well that is the new railway up to Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong buggered...

[herfiehandbag]

19 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

The Junta must be desperate.

Convincing Thailand to send them home to be press ganged into the army.

All that fresh cannon fodder. Sad

There is probably more than a hint of truth there...

[Tropicalevo]

6 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

There is probably more than a hint of truth there...

Whilst things were not too bad for the Junta, they were happy to have the workers' money being sent back to Burma.

Thailand and Burma let the workers stay. (Everyone knows that it has been happening for years.)

But now that the Junta are loosing too many soldiers.............

[smedly]

they don't need the cheap labor any more because Japan and the rest are exiting Thailand 

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, retarius said:

Don't the BMW Smart cars work on Burmese?

"80,913 to be precise, were Myanmar nationals."

Works pretty well. 

[spidermike007]

Thailand would collapse overnight without Burmese workers. They work hard, and they work for less than their Thai counterparts, and like in the US, these immigrants do work the locals have no interest in doing. 

[James105]

4 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

Who is going to replace these workers? Are the businesses going to survive? 

 

If a business needs cheap illegal labour to survive then it is not a proper business and does not deserve to survive.  

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

4 hours ago, webfact said:

80,913 to be precise, were Myanmar nationals.

The Junta must be desperate.

Convincing Thailand to send them home to be press ganged into the army.

All that fresh cannon fodder. Sad

Agree they should expedite work visas for them, but we know who's side this government is on, it's that of the Junta.............. 

Edited July 18 by brianthainess

[mokwit]

Could be disastrous for the Lower Sukhumvit Free Trade Zone, although one suspects someone has bought the master franchise.

[Galong]

They didn't come over without assistance and a Thai boss.  It's supply/demand issue. Go after the DEMAND side... AKA wealthy Thai bosses who are screwing the country.  Yes, I'm well-aware Thais simply won't do the work. 🤦‍♂️

Edited July 18 by Galong

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

Who is going to replace these workers? Are the businesses going to survive? 

 

Documented workers, if needed.

[BigStar]

Good. Keeping Thailand for Thais. Hopefully the US will be doing something like this soon after the insanity of open borders. No hope now for the Islamic Republic of the UK, though. Sharia law should keep UK women in line, so there's that.

[jonclark]

100,000 eh..lets hope every single business that employed illegal migrants is named, shamed, fined heavily and barred for any and all future government contracts for the next 10 years....Or are we just going to blame the illegal migrants here for working to feed themselves and their families? 

[jonclark]

2 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Good. Keeping Thailand for Thais. Hopefully the US will be doing something like this soon after the insanity of open borders. No hope now for the Islamic Republic of the UK, though. Sharia law should keep UK women in line, so there's that.

 This post speaks volumes about your fear of a free and open world. "Keeping Thailand for Thais" a bit like keeping North Korea for North Koreans yes?

 

Thailand has benifited massively from open borders with hundreds or thousands of Thais working overseas and likewise hundreds of thousands of migrant workers working in Thailand. 

 

[ChipButty]

I asked the wife and she knows everything, B/S she said, 

[BigStar]

1 minute ago, jonclark said:

This post speaks volumes about your fear of a free and open world.

 

Merely speaks volumes about my common sense and the need for vetted immigration and legal work permits. The current state of the UK and its worse future speaks volumes about what a free and open world means for developed and Westernized countries. 🙂 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In a significant crackdown, the Thai Ministry of Labour has announced the arrest of more than 100,000 undocumented foreign workers within the past 36 days. The massive operation forms part of a 120-day initiative aiming to curb illegal employment across Thailand.

What are the figures for arrested employers?

[Moonlover]

6 hours ago, redwood1 said:

So whos going to be doing all the work now?....You hardly ever see Thais at construction sites.....They all want to be social media influencers...

How often do you visit a construction site and how do you differentiate between Thai and none Thai?

[BarraMarra]

Someone yesterday posted Thailand has stringent regulations regarding outside workers and defending the labour laws regarding this very issue. I posted most of the foreign workers were employed were brought into Thailand Ilegally some were high up immigration officers that were transferred once caught.

[redwood1]

20 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

How often do you visit a construction site and how do you differentiate between Thai and none Thai?

Well I see them working in Pattaya quite often.....The Cambodians and Burmese dress a little differently from the Thais...Sure there are some Thais working too but a lot more Cambodians and Burmese doing the grunt work..