Thailand's new-round nationality identification of migrant workers set Oct 13

BANGKOK, October 11 (TNA) - A new round of nationality identification of migrant workers and their followers in Thailand will start on October 13. Sumet Mahosot, Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Labour’s Department of Employment, told journalists of the plan on Saturday, saying, however, that more than 1.2 million migrant workers, including those from Myanmar, Cambodian and Laos, as well as their followers, have already legally registered with his department. Sumet revealed that discussions with Cambodian officials were held earlier and the Phnom Penh government agreed to dispatch five teams of official to assist Thai authorities in the nationality identification process, which will start from Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao and Chon Buri Provinces. Under agreements made with those three neighbouring countries, Sumet acknowledged, each migrant worker will have to pay 1,500 baht to the Thai government, including 500 baht for visa stamp, 100 baht on applying for their work permits and 900 baht on their one-year work permits to be officially issued by his department. According to the senior official, his department has also informed recruitment employment agencies nationwide to recruit migrant workers with transparency, while his department's officials are forbidden from providing extra services to any employment agency. (TNA)