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Update Regarding Thailand Work Permit and Labor Regulations

Transcript of the above video:

This video is basically an update of a prior video where we were talking about some of the changes that went into effect in the summer of 2017, briefly went into effect with respect to Labour Code, labour regulations; specifically it seemed aimed at migrant workers so called. It only came into effect for about a week and there was kind of an exodus of migrant labour from Thailand which was stopped because the regime here put a moratorium on enforcement of that for 6 months and then basically dealt with through registration channels, means and methodologies of registering migrant labour and better tracking migrant labour and better tracking those who were employing migrant labour.

As stated at that time and as I still believe now, these regulations although primarily aimed at migrant labour can have an impact on foreigners generally, specifically foreigners from a western context or a western derivation or the Anglosphere, whatever you want to call it. These labour codes change and they change for everyone, so it not just migrant labour that was dealing with them but that being said, they were extremely, some of the penalties were quite severe in the prior Act but as of an article written February 26, 2018, appearing in the Bangkok Post, the title is “Bill Eases Curbs for Illegal Hires”.  Quoting directly, “Illegally hiring a migrant worker will not cost an employer as dearly anymore as a bill that reduces the fine from 400,00 – 800,000 baht to 10,000 - 100,000 baht is expected to be placed before the Cabinet Tuesday for approval” said a Labour Ministry Source. “The bill which will amend an Executive Decree on management of migrant workers was widely seen as too tough”. Quoting further, “Under the decree employers will be subjected to a fine of between 10,000 to 100,000 baht for  each illegal migrant worker hired. In the case of a repeat offence the employers face a 1 year jail term and/or fined between 50,000 – 100,000 baht for each illegal migrant worker.  So they have changed it with respect to employer fines. I have been trying to find further information. I urge those interested in this topic; check out that article in the Bangkok Post for more information.  That being said there are more strict fines for foreigners working illegally in the Kingdom and as of yet I have yet to find if there is any information, it might have been buried in that article further ,I urge people to check it out. It might be in there, I may be just forgetting it. I don’t think I am.

Again the penalties for working illegally in Thailand have been made more strict but as can be seen, they have relaxed some of these things which tends to show me that they are not taking this, although they take it seriously, they are not trying to be overly punitive in handing out fines and penalties associated with working illegally in Thailand. It seems to me like they just want to get everybody registered, they just want everybody to comply with the regulatory framework and move on from there.