700+ illegal foreign workers exposed in Thailand’s reserved jobs

Today Thai authorities have discovered foreign workers operating in the domain of Thais. Majority of these more than 700 employees are undercover and were examined through the past half year, the officials said.

The government spokesperson Khawor Meanpeepkla invited the media for details that there had been a heavy clampdown on those working in the grassroots areas as vendors, hairdressers, drivers, and masseurs chaired by Employment Department and they were the biggest of the group being foreigners and a large part of it was due to complaints submitted from local natives.

Although all provinces have struggled with the issue, those that are reliant on tourism and petroleum-related businesses protests were more noticeable

Thailand’s Crackdown on Illegal Foreign Employment

Within a half of fiscal year 2024 (October 1 to March 18), 25,628 enterprises in the country have been investigated thoroughly by the department which identified and pressed legal actions against 820 enterprises that were found to have illegally hired foreigners into the job positions assigned exclusively to Thai citizens.

Not only did the administrative control over 200,000 foreigners result in taking legal actions against 770 people, but also the legal measures against 919 people were carried out.

Out of which there were 721 cases that were charged of taking over the jobs most reserved for Thais while the others were facing other offences. As the report shows, the big city area of Bangkok and suburbs, Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai were the places where most of the foreigners were employed.

Among those captured, Myanmar nationals were leading group with 316 people captured followed by Cambodians (175), Laotians (106), Indians (65), Vietnamese (42), China (5) and 12 people from other nationalities that are reported in the Nation.

The government spokesperson underlined that the majority of offenders had been arrested in the process of hawking of goods, provision of hair care, driving and massaging respectively.

Furthermore, in the context of the fight against entertainment centers and impose stricter rules, a restaurant owned by a Russian national company was located on Koh Pha Ngan island. This restaurant was found to illegally employ three Burmese workers.

“Justice prevailed as the Russian was acquitted of the innocence of three migratory workers from Myanmar.”

One day, during the traditional inspection of all facilities in the district, officers found the eatery of the Russian national — the Colorful Hut.

Sensational joint operation of Surat Thani police, tourist police and immigration officers raided on March 12 and took him along with a Russian national as they finish their legal process in Koh Pha Ngan Police Station.

Moreover, a Hongkonger aged 31 years old was arrested on the attractive location of beach in Phuket by law. The arrest took place in the car park located close to the renowned Phuket Big Buddha, Phra Putta Mongkollarn Naksathiratmethi, in the Karon Sub-district of the Mueang District on the Nakkerd Hill yesterday at around 5:00 PM