Thailand and Cambodia have reached an agreement to make life easier for over 40,000 migrant Cambodian workers reapplying for or renewing their work permits.
Pairoj Chotikasathien, director-general of the Department of Employment, said the agreement was reached at a meeting between Thai labour authorities and their Cambodian counterparts, in the hope of easing a labour shortage.
Many migrant workers returned to their home country during the Covid-19 pandemic, while demand for migrant workers has risen rapidly since it eased.
Under the current memorandum of understanding (MoU) which allows Cambodian workers to work legally in Thailand for four years, work permits held by these workers started expiring between January last year until the upcoming July 31.
So, they would have to have their work permits and other documents renewed so they could return to work in Thailand or continue living and working here in case they are still in Thailand.
"These Cambodian workers will be exempt from the usual requirement for them to wait 30 days from the day their work permit expires until they are allowed to reapply," he said.
"The entire process of reapplying for the permit also will be conducted online, to improve convenience for workers."
The Thai side asked Cambodian labour authorities to speed up certifying documents pertaining to workers' personal information. This relates to those allowed to stay until July 31, under a cabinet resolution passed on Feb 7, so they won't lose their immigration and workers' benefits when the cabinet resolution expires, he said.
The Cambodian side asked for a discount in the visa fee from 2,000 baht to 500 baht, which will be sent to the new cabinet.
A similar agreement was also reached at a meeting between the Thai labour authorities and their Myanmar counterparts. Myanmar migrant workers, too, will be exempt from the 30-day break rule and will be able to reapply immediately for a work permit when their current one is about to expire. The Myanmar side has also sought a discount on the visa fee.
