Over 400 Cambodian workers were arrested by the Thai police on 12 October 2023 in Ayutthaya Province. The workers, most of them employed in construction, reached out to their embassy to request the Thai authorities for their release, after their brokers failed to produce promised legal documentation.

(Photo from CENTRAL)

Leung Sophon from the Centre for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) in Thailand, said that the Thai police arrested more than 1000 people from Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar working at several construction sites.

Over 400 of the arrested workers were from Cambodia. Sophon said that while some employers managed to get their workers released, over 300 are still in police custody.

A day after being arrested, Nov Sok, 21, is still uncertain whether he would be released because he acknowledged that he is undocumented. He had come to work in Thailand through a broker and hadn't yet paid them. The broker had talked of deducting around 3,500 baht from his future salary.  

Sok said the broker promised to prepare his documents for him, but after working for over a month, he has not received his work permit. He was expecting to be paid the day he got arrested.

Chan Ra, 28, came from Pursat Province, Cambodia, to work in Thailand with her husband after hearing that the pay is better here than in Cambodia. They were promised 400 baht per day by a broker, who also promised to get them documents so they can work legally. However, after a month of work, they were both arrested.

“Now I’ve worked for a month already, I’ve not received a salary yet and we both got arrested,” Ra said.  

Although she acknowledged that she doesn’t have a passport and is working without a permit, Ra said she isn't worried about being deported.  

The Cambodian Consulate is currently handling the case and is not able to comment at this time. Consular officials arrived at the location around 10:30 today (13 October). Under Thai law, those who enter Thailand illegally will be deported within 45 days.

On 5 July 2023, the Thai Cabinet approved proposals from the Ministry of Labour to extend the period for registered foreign workers to stay and work. Workers who completed a four-year contract under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between 1 November 2020, and 31 December 2023, can work until 30 April 2024. Workers who were listed by their employers by 31 July 2023, following the cabinet’s instructions, are allowed to remain and work in Thailand until 13 February 2025.

Workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar who completed a four-year MOU contract are permitted to work in Thailand until 30 April 2024 but during this period, employers are required to start the process of applying for a work permit under the MOU. Afterward, the workers can return to their home countries and re-enter Thailand without a 30-day waiting period.

In a notable step, visa fees have been reduced substantially from 2,000 baht to 500 baht for MOU workers and those allowed to stay in Thailand under special circumstances. The application fee for temporary stay in Thailand has also been reduced from 1,900 baht to 500 baht, providing further relief to these workers. 

A worker detained over lack of proper documentation can be released if they have been registered via an online system by their employer and allowed to complete the necessary documentation. However, this is not possible for unregistered workers.

Those among the arrested workers who are registered have reached out to CENTRAL about getting a visa stamp. CENTRAL has contacted Thai immigration, but has yet to receive concrete information.

“I reached out to the immigration police in Thailand, but as of now, there are no specific details available. This implies that while the workers have been registered online, they have not yet received a visa stamp or a new work permit. Consequently, they continue to face challenges during police inspections,” Sophon added.