The center opened in Samut Sakhon with the goal of providing a one-stop service for Burmese, Cambodian, and Lao migrant workers to register for temporary residential status, known as Tor Ror 38/1 (TR.38/1), and work permits. The goal of the center is to enable the Thai authorities to keep track of the country’s migrant labor population and reduce the problem of human trafficking and the exploitation of migrant workers.

“[Issuing] TR. 38/1 [cards] is good for migrant workers,” said Ko Kyaw Thiha, an advocate for Burmese migrant issues. He continued, “The advantage of it is that it is not expensive, and you can get work permits [with that card] in one day. And, unlike applying for passports, it does not take a long time to apply for and get [the] TR, 38/1. Also, Thai [factory] employers also like this. In the past, migrant workers applied for passports with this TR 38/1.”

Ko Kyaw Thiha notes, however, that there are disadvantages to the TR 38/1. For instance, according to a Thai government delegate at a recent meeting of labor affairs, TR 38/1 holders are not allowed to move to other provinces for work. If they do they face arrest, a 500 baht fine, and will be sent back to the province they registered in.

According to Burmese migrant workers, they can apply for a TR 38/1 with support from their employers, but it’s unclear whether the new registration process will discourage Thai employers from continuing the common practice of forcing employees to pay for the registration fees by reducing employees’ wages.

For migrant workers 18 years old and above, the registration process requires them to pay a total of 1,305 Baht: 80 Baht for the TR 38/1; 500 Baht for a medical check-up; 500 Baht for three months of health insurance; and 225 Baht for work permit cards which signify that they are allowed to work legally in Thailand. Migrant workers under 18 years old aren’t allowed to apply for work permits, so they will only have to pay 1,080 Baht.

Work permits issued by the new Samut Sakhon center are only valid for two months and therefore must be verified by August 29. According to Burma’s state-run “Myanmar Ahlin” newspaper, in order to receive a longer work permit—valid for one year—applicants must pay a total of 3,080 Baht: 80 Baht for the TR 38/1;  500 Baht for a medical check-up; 1,300 Baht for one-year of health insurance; and 1,200 Baht for a one-year work permit.

Ko Htet Khaing, who has been working on migrant workers issues in Thailand, said that “There are two kinds of Burmese migrant workers [in Thailand]. [The] first is migrant workers whose immigration status is government by the MoU [between Thailand and Burma] who legally enter Thailand with a passport with both countries’ consent. [The] second type of migrant worker is typically smuggled into Thailand illegally, and they hold temporary passports issued in 2009. This [one-stop service for work permits] is for migrant workers [who fall] in [the] second [category]. It doesn’t deal with migrant workers [who fall] under the first category who have come to work [in Thailand] through the MoU.”

Burmese migrant worker Ko Maung Maung explains, “Whatever it is-- passport, visa, or work permit, we (migrant workers) can only apply if we have [an] employer. We should understand this and consider this. We can do nothing if we don’t have an employer. After we get this [passport or work permit], we have to work for our employer, and if we work for other employers we will get arrested.”

The one-stop registration service was established by Thailand’s current military regime (otherwise known as the National Council for Peace and Order) in order to reduce human trafficking; prevent the exploitation of migrant workers; and discourage government officials from extorting money from illegal migrants.