CNI News
11 November 2024
Over two million Myanmar citizens whose work permits will expire in February 2025 will be allowed to renew four years of their work permits by renewing every two years, stated the Myanmar Embassy.
The decision came after officials from the two countries met and discussed the matter regarding Myanmar migrant workers on 5th November, according to the statement released by the Myanmar Embassy.
However, Myanmar workers who would renew would directly face paying tax, U Aung Kyaw from the Labor Right Foundation told CNI News.
While officials from the Myanmar Embassy and Thai authorities were meeting and discussing
" It is convenient for Myanmar workers because they will be allowed to renew their work permits until four years in a row by extending every two years. Myanmar workers get into trouble if they have to renew their work permits every year because they have to hire brokers to renew and the service fee costs them a lot. But to the best of my knowledge, they will have to face the tax directly." he said.
Myanmar migrant workers' temporary residence permits and work permits need to be valid until over two years on 13th February 2025 reportedly.
Myanmar migrant workers whose passports are not valid within over two years to come can renew at the Myanmar consulate in Chiangmai.
Because the Ministry of Labor has announced to pay the tax since 2023, Myanmar migrant workers who have not paid the tax yet would be hurt more, Ko Moe Lay, a migrant worker, told CNI News.
While Myanmar migrant workers were waiting to make documents
" What I've heard about tax, if a migrant worker changes into new CI book, they have to pay the tax. Migrant workers must pay the tax. If the passports don't expire, visas and work permits can be renewed in Thailand. Mainly, if the migrant worker can change into red books at the embassy and CI books can be renewed only in Thailand, it will be more convenient for migrant workers." he said.
According to the statement released by the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, negotiations have been conducted already to change from old CI books to new ones and an official statement will be released soon.
As Myanmar workers in the factories and workshops in Thailand, if they want to change from passports to passports or from CI to passports on the mobile team, they can come to the Myanmar Consulate and carry out them, said in the statement.
