CNI News
21 Feb 2023
Myanmar workers in Thailand have been forced to spend large sums of money for renewals of their different documents at the same time, labour activists in Thailand told the CNI.
At present, Myanmar workers in Thailand have to renew at least three of their documents through agents, spending as much as Baht 10,000 (MMK 1 million) and some workers who cannot afford such amounts have become illegal workers, Director Ko Naing Aung Aung of the Arakan Workers Organization told the CNI.
He said, "Only a few of them live alone. They have three, four or five family members. So, they cannot afford to renew the documents of all family members because it costs as much as Baht 15,000 per person to renew his or her documents. So, they have to give priority to those who work. Everyone wants to live and work in Thailand officially but they cannot afford to renew documents of all family members. Both governments are trying to encourage the workers to live and work officially in Thailand. However, it costs large sums of money and renewal processes are complicated. As a result, some workers are forced to work in Thailand illegally or make wrong decisions.
An office issuing CIs for Myanmar workers
At present, Myanmar workers in Thailand are required to renew their different documents including passports, work permits (pink cards) and certificates of identity-CI.
Migrant workers in Thailand have to take the jobs which Thai citizens do not want to take and earn at least Baht 320 (about MMK 30,000) per day.
Costs for renewing a document are so high but wages of migrant workers are so low that governments and agents can reap benefits from workers, labour activists said.
An office issuing documents for migrant workers
Labour Activist U Min Oo of the Foundation for Education and Development told the CNI, "In the past, there were agents for renewals of work permits and visas. Now, the situation has changed. Agents and government agencies are cooperating to get money from workers and creating unnecessary difficulties so that workers cannot renew their documents by themselves. Even when their employers help workers, agents and government agencies make the process more complicated by requiring some documents.
The processes for renewing documents serve the interests of agents and workers and their employers are forced to renew their documents through agents.
There are millions of Myanmar workers in Thailand and labour activists have urged them to renew their documents as the rights and benefits of legal workers and illegal workers are very different.
