Phuket employment chief urges employers to register legal and illegal workers

Today is the first day of employers being able to register their migrant workers, Chief Santi said.

The online portal will stop accepting registrations after Feb 13, he added.

Chief Santi explained that the move follows a Cabinet resolution on Dec 29, allowing all migrant workers who register to stay in the country for two years, until Feb 16, 2023.

“Migrants from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia who are or are not currently employed must register through the website, from Jan 15 to Feb 13,” Chief Santi said.

Migrant workers who have children under 18 years old must also register their children through the website, he added.

Mr Santi urged all employers to take the opportunity to register all their workers during the amnesty.

“After Feb 13, the website will stop accepting registrations, and the opportunity will be gone,” he said.

The web portal for registering migrant workers is available in three languages – Myanmar, Cambodian and Lao – Mr Santi noted.

Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Dec 29 that many migrant workers were found to be infected in the latest COVID-19 outbreak, but when the government tried to test more of them in at-risk areas, many employers moved them to other areas for fear of legal action, and several illegal migrants also fled for fear of prosecution.

After the online registration is completed, health officials will conduct physical checkups and COVID-19 tests. The costs of the tests and the required two-year health insurance, totalling B7,200 per worker, must be met by the workers or their employers.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said it was important that business owners cooperated by telling the authorities how many workers they needed.

“It is the factory owners’ responsibility. If we find later there was no information submission or miss from the truth and find employment of illegal workers, [the factory] will be on the blacklist,” he said.