Work Permits And Id's For Burmese Maids

[samran]

We're in the process of hiring a nanny/maid in anticipation that the wifey goes back to work.

We've been interviewing and have come across a Burmese maid.

She has a Pink ID card in Thai which is titled "ID Cards for Non Thai's"

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Also, what is the process of renewing these cards? Her card runs out this month...which I am a bit suspicous about, that she wants he card renewed...then she'll do a runner.

[Dragonman]

From 1st July 2004 Thailand introduced a Migrant Workers Registration Scheme, allowing foreigners from some ASEAN countries( farangs are out ) 1 year renewable Thai ids. 1.2 million workers registered, but only 500,000 applied for Work Permits! Thai Government not pleased and every year threaten to deport anyone not applying for a Work Permit. Re-Registration due by 30 June, but as normal the system's a mess.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Would you want to work 4000 baht a month for 240 hours work?

[Dragonman]

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Would you want to work 4000 baht a month for 240 hours work?

I do! That's the allowance my wife gives me for babysitting, gardening and taxi driving. Have to remember to get that Work Permit.

[samran]

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Would you want to work 4000 baht a month for 240 hours work?

given that I have a Thai ID, I don't need one.

Was thinking from the broader perspective of other foreigners who live in Thailand on a long term basis, ie work permit holders, spouses, retirees on long term extensions who have extensions for more than 90 days.

Would seem logical to give these people a temp ID card, as in HK. Would negate the need for having to carry about the passport, not only for legal reasons, but for every day reasons like producing ID's for the bank, and proof of residency for Drivers Licenses, car registration and god forbid.......20 baht entry into national parks and other assorted dual pricing institutions.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Would you want to work 4000 baht a month for 240 hours work?

given that I have a Thai ID, I don't need one.

Was thinking from the broader perspective of other foreigners who live in Thailand on a long term basis, ie work permit holders, spouses, retirees on long term extensions who have extensions for more than 90 days.

Would seem logical to give these people a temp ID card, as in HK. Would negate the need for having to carry about the passport, not only for legal reasons, but for every day reasons like producing ID's for the bank, and proof of residency for Drivers Licenses, car registration and god forbid.......20 baht entry into national parks and other assorted dual pricing institutions.

Tell me, is it worth the effort to get a Thai ID card? It's expensive and a hassle to get, right? And, am I right in thinking it comes down to luck too?

[samran]

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Would you want to work 4000 baht a month for 240 hours work?

given that I have a Thai ID, I don't need one.

Was thinking from the broader perspective of other foreigners who live in Thailand on a long term basis, ie work permit holders, spouses, retirees on long term extensions who have extensions for more than 90 days.

Would seem logical to give these people a temp ID card, as in HK. Would negate the need for having to carry about the passport, not only for legal reasons, but for every day reasons like producing ID's for the bank, and proof of residency for Drivers Licenses, car registration and god forbid.......20 baht entry into national parks and other assorted dual pricing institutions.

Tell me, is it worth the effort to get a Thai ID card? It's expensive and a hassle to get, right? And, am I right in thinking it comes down to luck too?

Worth it? Yep. Need it at least once a week for something or other. Make life easy...

Expensive? I think for me 100 baht and a trip to the Ampur to get my photo taken.

Luck? I supose that if you consider being born to a Thai national luck, then, yes, luck too.

[astral]

Take a copy of the Pink ID card down to the Amphur and see what they say, on its validity.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Has anyone seen one of these, are they legit? (and as an aside: if they are, why can't farangs get them?).

Would you want to work 4000 baht a month for 240 hours work?

given that I have a Thai ID, I don't need one.

Was thinking from the broader perspective of other foreigners who live in Thailand on a long term basis, ie work permit holders, spouses, retirees on long term extensions who have extensions for more than 90 days.

Would seem logical to give these people a temp ID card, as in HK. Would negate the need for having to carry about the passport, not only for legal reasons, but for every day reasons like producing ID's for the bank, and proof of residency for Drivers Licenses, car registration and god forbid.......20 baht entry into national parks and other assorted dual pricing institutions.

Tell me, is it worth the effort to get a Thai ID card? It's expensive and a hassle to get, right? And, am I right in thinking it comes down to luck too?

Worth it? Yep. Need it at least once a week for something or other. Make life easy...

Expensive? I think for me 100 baht and a trip to the Ampur to get my photo taken.

Luck? I supose that if you consider being born to a Thai national luck, then, yes, luck too.

Sorry, I incorrectly presumed you'd gone the 10 year route!

[Maestro]

is it worth the effort to get a Thai ID card?

Worth it? Yep. Need it at least once a week for something or other. Make life easy...

Aside from that, isn’t it a legal requirement for Thai adults to carry an ID card?

---------------

Maestro

[p_brownstone]

Hi Samran, sorry but this is totally off-topic!

(I am not sure if you are Thai, if so I apologise if I am trying to “teach a crocodile to swim” as we say.)

Economic necessity may mean that your wife must return to work as soon as practicable after your child is weaned, and in that case your options are fairly limited, but otherwise I would strongly urge you to be very careful about entrusting your newborn child to a “Nanny” – Thai, Lao, Burmese or whatever – unless you have someone in your immediate family at home too, to supervise what goes on.

When our daughter was born – 24 years ago now – both I and my (Thai) wife had extremely well paying jobs here in Bangkok, even then my wife was earning over Baht 40,000.- a month as an executive in a major Company here and I was on a very good Expatriate “package” with an International Company. It therefore seemed the financially sensible thing to do would be to hire a “Qualified Nurse’ - from the very well known local hospital where our daughter was born (not an Agency) - to care for our daughter whilst we were both at work.

In fact it was a major mistake and I am eternally grateful that our error was quickly pointed out to us. Within weeks our daughter had lost weight, become irritable and suffered other problems which had never been there before she was given into the care of the “Nurse” .

Looking back I really cannot believe how stupid and short sighted we – or rather I – was.

Thankfully my mother in law (who was always adamantly against the very idea of employing anyone to look after the child anyway) took it upon herself to visit our home daily and keep an eye on things and it was she who reported the abuse and neglect which were the causes of our daughters' change in attitude.

Even though it meant a loss of my Wife's income - and very significant Career prospects - she readily agreed that the only way to ensure our child was properly cared for was to get rid of the so-called “Nurse” and look after her physical and mental well-being herself -------- keeping a Maid to handle the rather less interesting – and smelly (!) – aspects of course!

In a similar vein, a neighbouring family here in my village in the Eastern suburbs of Bangkok – a Thai / Chinese family, owners of one of the largest Jewelry Exporters in Thailand – have a young daughter, now about 8 years old, who has been left with an oft changing group of 3 or 4 Burmese / Lao Maids since she was a few months old while her parents go off to work …… leaving at 7.00 am and rarely returning before 8.00 pm. Not only does the child now have truly disgusting manners, Thai vocabulary and pronunciation but as soon as the parents leave for work in the mornings the Maids’ boyfriends arrive and are given free run of the house – I hate to imagine what the young child has seen or heard in such an atmosphere.

Patrick

Edited June 25, 2006 by p_brownstone

[samran]

Patrick,

many thanks for the note and your concerns. Wife wants to go back to work part time, more for perspnal reasons than for monetary.

I do understand what you say..swings and round abouts I guess, I've heard nothing but good reports from those who have gone the nanny route, and we are only going with those who have references that we can verify with other expat families. Also, we ain't going for anyone less than 45 years of age to lessen the boyfriend factor. We will be choosing very very carefully though, and my wife won't be going back to work until she has been working for us for a couple of months.

Dan Sai Kid - sorry for leading you on...yep, am a Thai citizen by birth. Going all the way for Thai naturalisation....I'm not sure, though from friends experience, getting PR is definetly a worthwhile step if you intend to live here and don't want to be subject to visa conditions.

As for the original topic....so no one has seen one of the cards that I have talked about?

[Dragonman]

Patrick,

many thanks for the note and your concerns. Wife wants to go back to work part time, more for perspnal reasons than for monetary.

I do understand what you say..swings and round abouts I guess, I've heard nothing but good reports from those who have gone the nanny route, and we are only going with those who have references that we can verify with other expat families. Also, we ain't going for anyone less than 45 years of age to lessen the boyfriend factor. We will be choosing very very carefully though, and my wife won't be going back to work until she has been working for us for a couple of months.

Dan Sai Kid - sorry for leading you on...yep, am a Thai citizen by birth. Going all the way for Thai naturalisation....I'm not sure, though from friends experience, getting PR is definetly a worthwhile step if you intend to live here and don't want to be subject to visa conditions.

As for the original topic....so no one has seen one of the cards that I have talked about?

Have not personally seen one, but can confirm from my Legal records that thai ids issued to Burmese Nationals under the scheme I outlined above are indeed pink.

[Nilapat]

This is the card for labourers from Burmma, Laos and Cambodia. Everyone's card is up at the end of June. Renewing it is quite simple, but usually involves a whole day. First of all you must find out where the Labour Dept, have set up an office to deal with applications. In Chiang Mai, for example, this year it is at the 700 year stadium. You, as the employer, have to apply for a quota to hire migrant labour. For this you need your ID card, house registration and a map of where your house is. You also need to inform tham that your prospective employee is leaving their last employer. This is done at the same place, but I'm afraid I don't know what's involved.

Then you must make an application for renewal of the pink card. For this you need photocopies of your quota, ID card, house registraion, map of your house, the pink card, a document that accompanies the pink card and an application form. Your future nanny must pay 1,900 THB. Once this is processed (all of the above should take only one long, hot day) your employee must go to an appointed hospital (in Chiang Mai, Nakorn Ping) within the next two months to have a health check for her health insurance, which costs another 1,900 THB and then take the certificate to the labour debt.

I hope this helps. You need to hurry, as the application must be completed by 30 June.

[samran]

thanks for the detailed response....Thai national is the way to go then....