CNI News

14 Feb 2023

Labour activists have warned Myanmar workers in Thailand off selling their bank accounts opened with their personal information.

If amounts of deposits and withdrawals of such accounts are found to have exceeded their salaries, Myanmar workers are likely to be detained for investigation, labour activists in Thailand told the CNI.

Labour activist Ko Thar Gyi told the CNI, "If employers use bank accounts of their workers for money laundering, action will be taken against the workers according to the law. The bank accounts will be closed and workers will be detained for investigation. Myanmar workers should know that no one is above the law and their passports will be blacklisted. The bank accounts are opened with their names and it is very dangerous for workers if the accounts are used for money laundering.

Migrant workers staged a protest for unemployment on 9th December, last year

Under Thai laws, selling bank accounts to others is not allowed but some Myanmar workers are selling their bank account.

It was reported that prices for bank accounts range between Baht 1,500 to 20,000.

A Myanmar worker who sold his bank accounts was detained last week after authorities had found that large sums of transactions were made through his bank account.

Labour Activist U Min Oo from the Foundation for Education and Development told the CNI, "More than Baht 300,000 is deposited, withdrawn or transferred from an account, authorities will check the transaction. Authorities can ask for information about the account users even when about Baht 100,000 is transacted and banks cannot refuse to do so. Actually, bank accounts cannot be sold to others. Everyone must open bank accounts in their own name. Some Myanmar workers opened bank accounts for friends or siblings. If something goes wrong, action will be taken against account owners.

Thai currency notes

Myanmar migrant workers can open bank accounts easily if they can submit their official documents.

So, some Myanmar workers opened bank accounts for their friends who do not have official documents. A large sum of transactions are made through such accounts, there will be problems, according to labour activists.

They have warned Myanmar workers off opening more than two bank accounts and allowing other people to use their accounts.