Uh-Oh does this mean even longer wait times at Immigration as they attempt to get "legal"

Based on reports for Chiang Mai immigration, there are pretty massive queues now.

I just wonder; who will build the fancy shopping malls and condo buildings in the future? And who will catch the fish in Thailand's waters - the Thais themselves?

I don't think so; they rather pick the easy jobs like motorbike boy or Mama noodle-soup seller.

Just another sign of xenophobic paranoia... When Thais have political or economical problems, first thing they do is kick out the foreigners.

Re-read about the programme.

It is actually a very good programme designed to give foreign workers full working rights in Thailand and be covered under the Thai hospital system.

The paperwork isn't onerous - but many people are still avoiding it....

The program is good. The problem is the scam artists trying to make a buck out of it. Some of those in need of documents have very long, unpleasant journeys back to their home villages, which may take up to a day or two in each direction from the border crossing. That's one of the reasons why they use agents on the border, agents who are more interested in how much money they can make out of this than getting the correct documents to the applicants on time.

Not sure exactly how it works but if that's the case, it tells me that the agents are paid up front. Perhaps they should only get paid when the service is rendered.

"Thai workers don't want to work in the food and fishery sectors because they are wet and smelly places"

This just about sums it up the mentality for me...and why is this ?....cos the I-phone may get wet or they are just adverse to hard work...?

I hire locals here in northern Thailand. All the work is outdoors and physical. I pay double minimum wage. I wind up hiring hill tribers rather than Thais, because Thais don't want to get specks of mud on their boots or rays of sun on their skin, or any bit of grit under their fingernails.

As for the OP: it's sooooo easy for Thai employers to take advantage of foreign laborers - ....and the employers (most of them are Chinese descent, btw) do it every way they can. I've seen it up close.

Some of us will bend to accommodate the dowtrodden. Thai-Chinese bosses, on the other hand, will see that downtrodden/vunerable look in their eyes/demeaner, and take full advantage - including treating those less fortunate like dirt.