How do you hire a Cambodian migrant worker?

[joshuatdixon]

My company has received quota for 1 migrant worker. The person that I have in mind hiring is Cambodian and has never had a pink card before. I was told that the laws have now changed and that no more pink cards are being issued unless the work had one prior to this year and that the only option is to prepare paperwork for the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and for him to obtain a non LA visa there. Is there another or cheaper option than hiring and agency to do this? I've heard he can get a visa at the border also, but I'm not finding any info on this in the forums.

Thanks for any help!

[ubonjoe]

One of my fellow mods just went through the process of hiring a Cambodian. They decided to use an agent since doing it without one was very difficult.

The non-la visa has to be issued at the embassy in PP after the required paperwork is obtained.

A snag they had was that the embassy requires a passport validity of at least 2 years to issue the visa.

[joshuatdixon]

One of my fellow mods just went through the process of hiring a Cambodian. They decided to use an agent since doing it without one was very difficult.

The non-la visa has to be issued at the embassy in PP after the required paperwork is obtained.

A snag they had was that the embassy requires a passport validity of at least 2 years to issue the visa.

This is what I have just heard, but it does seem to be a lot more difficult than it used to. I suppose the companies wanting migrant workers will be willing to pay for agencies to do this if they want the labor enough, but it seems to me that it's going to make it increasingly difficult compared to how it used to be. From my understanding before a migrant worker could enter Thailand with legal working status without having an employer and then find work with the work card, and now they will have to find an employer first, right?

[samran]

One of my fellow mods just went through the process of hiring a Cambodian. They decided to use an agent since doing it without one was very difficult.

The non-la visa has to be issued at the embassy in PP after the required paperwork is obtained.

A snag they had was that the embassy requires a passport validity of at least 2 years to issue the visa.

This is what I have just heard, but it does seem to be a lot more difficult than it used to. I suppose the companies wanting migrant workers will be willing to pay for agencies to do this if they want the labor enough, but it seems to me that it's going to make it increasingly difficult compared to how it used to be. From my understanding before a migrant worker could enter Thailand with legal working status without having an employer and then find work with the work card, and now they will have to find an employer first, right?

I've been doing it with Burmese, and unfortunately no, you need an employee with a quota before the paperwork can commence.

I'd PM one of the mods, Sheryl on this, as we've been swapping notes on this offline. Best to use an agency. I've done it myself a couple of time with Burmese and know the system (for them) but now I just outsource. Remember 18K fees being the rough cost for agents to handle cambodian workers.

[Sheryl]

I'm in the process now, using an agent. 20,000 baht, and this was for a worker who already had a passport, might be more for someone without one. That price is all inclusive: work permit, 1 year LA visa, hospital insurance registration. While the visa will be 2 year, the work permit is just one year then has to be renewed, supposedly easy to do once have the visa.

Multiple visits to government ministries/depts needed both in the Thai province where the worker will be based and in Phnom Penh, you really do need an agent and I don't think it adds much to the cost.

It was hoped that this year they'd have some sort of open registration similiar to the pink card system of the past, in fact my local Labor Dept advised me to wait on going the MOU route n expectation this would happen, but no such luck.

You are right, it is more difficult than before, rather than easier as one might have though ASEAN entry would bring.

The worst of it is the cost which is ridiculous relative to migrant wages, which pretty well guarantees that there will continue to be a large number migrants working illegally and being exploited accordingly. No migrant worker can afford the cost and most employers don't want to spend that sort of money for low wage workers. (I don't either, but given that there is no other option for making it legal, I'm doing it).

[bangkokairportlink]

On 4/1/2016 at 10:32 AM, ubonjoe said:

One of my fellow mods just went through the process of hiring a Cambodian. They decided to use an agent since doing it without one was very difficult.

The non-la visa has to be issued at the embassy in PP after the required paperwork is obtained.

A snag they had was that the embassy requires a passport validity of at least 2 years to issue the visa.

 

Hello, do you know a reliable agent ? Thank you.

 

 

[bangkokairportlink]

On 4/2/2016 at 8:09 PM, Sheryl said:

I'm in the process now, using an agent. 20,000 baht, and this was for a worker who already had a passport, might be more for someone without one. That price is all inclusive: work permit, 1 year LA visa, hospital insurance registration. While the visa will be 2 year, the work permit is just one year then has to be renewed, supposedly easy to do once have the visa.

Multiple visits to government ministries/depts needed both in the Thai province where the worker will be based and in Phnom Penh, you really do need an agent and I don't think it adds much to the cost.

It was hoped that this year they'd have some sort of open registration similiar to the pink card system of the past, in fact my local Labor Dept advised me to wait on going the MOU route n expectation this would happen, but no such luck.

You are right, it is more difficult than before, rather than easier as one might have though ASEAN entry would bring.

The worst of it is the cost which is ridiculous relative to migrant wages, which pretty well guarantees that there will continue to be a large number migrants working illegally and being exploited accordingly. No migrant worker can afford the cost and most employers don't want to spend that sort of money for low wage workers. (I don't either, but given that there is no other option for making it legal, I'm doing it).

 

 

Thank you, do you know if it is easier for a Thai who want to hire a Cambodian or Myanmar ? It would be to help working online on computer.

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

It will be basically the same except that communications with the agent will be easier.

Your avetage migrant worker does not have computer or English language skills. Also I am not sure whether this is an allowable occupation but the agent will know. I posted agent details already in the other thread.

[In the jungle]

On 5/27/2017 at 6:51 PM, bangkokairportlink said:

 

 

Thank you, do you know if it is easier for a Thai who want to hire a Cambodian or Myanmar ? It would be to help working online on computer.

 

 

 

 

 

All my wife's employees are from Cambodia or Burma.  For a new contract she has just started she employed three additional Cambodians.  She did all the paperwork herself to get them legal but it was a lot more work than before.  My guess is it took four days of her time, numerous phone calls, trips back and forth to government offices and a ream of photocopying.

 

So it is possible to do this process without an agent but the amount of work involved, much of it seemingly pointless, made me wonder whether it would be better value to employ Thais as we used to do ten years ago.  I have not discussed this point with my wife so far.

 

Anyway, to address your question.  Our staff are essentially unskilled manual labour yet my wife had to re-write the job descriptions to remove anything that could be described as skill.

 

For that reason I feel that you may have to be creative in your job description.