Thailand to cut cost of migrant permit

Thailand has ruled that the cost of its migrant permit fee will be slashed to just 500 baht, down from the current 2,000 baht, in a move that will benefit migrant workers from the poorer surrounding countries.

The fee was linked to the Thai Interior Ministry’s earlier ruling that migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – including fishery workers – must be in possession of temporary permits in order to stay in the country in addition to undergoing nationality identification.

More than two million workers from Myanmar alone are believed to be working in Thailand, either legally or illegally, mainly as maids and in fishing, factories or construction.

A government spokesman confirmed that the Cabinet had given the green light to the Interior Ministry’s reduced fee proposal, but that it still needed to be approved by the Council of State before it could be implemented.

Authorities in the Southeast Asian country believe lowering the fee would act as an incentive to workers from the three bordering countries to legally enter Thailand and lead to them being better looked after, combat migrant worker exploitation, reduce the number of illegal workers and benefit them in terms of accessing labour welfare.