Lyon – Thailand’s military government, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), has announced that all migrant workers in Thailand are required to obtain a temporary passport after receiving “Tor Ror 38/1” (TR. 38/1) temporary residential status.
Last Monday, the NCPO launched Thailand’s first one-stop service center in for illegal migrant workers in Thailand to register for TR 38/1 status and work permits. The center is located in Samut Sakhon Province and is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
The NCPO’s plan to issue TR 38/1 status cards to migrant workers in Thailand is the same plan developed by Thaksin Shinawatra’s government in 2003-2004. The plan—which is consistent with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Burma and Thailand—requires migrant workers to undergo a medical check-up in order to obtain a work permit. Thereafter, migrant workers must apply for a temporary passport, which gives them the ability to lawfully travel between Thai provinces and between Thailand and Burma.
“There are lots of illegal migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province,” said Ko Khaing, a Burmese citizen living in Thailand. “They have to hide, and there are gangs of human traffickers and smugglers that profit from exploiting them. When international NGO’s release reports [about human trafficking], the Thai government gets blamed for human trafficking and loses dignity, so the Thai government is carrying out this plan in order to curb such illegal activities.”
Ko Khaing said that outside Samut Sakhon Province, one-stop service centers that issue TR 38/1 status cards have also opened in other provinces throughout Thailand. He also said the program enables Thai authorities to keep track of migrant workers and ensures that migrant workers possess proper immigration documents.
To apply for TR 38/1 residential status, migrant workers must pay a total of 1,305 Baht: 80 Baht for the TR 38/1 card; 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.
However, after receiving TR 38/1 status migrant workers must then obtain work permits and temporary passports within two months—otherwise they are subject to arrest.
Yet previous Thai migrant worker policies have been changed at the last minute, so it’s possible that the two-month deadline won’t be enforced. “The Burmese embassy [in Thailand] has not released [any statements about this program] yet. TR 38/1 status is only valid for two months, so there might be more policy changes after two months,” said Ko Kyaw Thiha, an advocate for Burmese migrant issues.
Although Thai military government has announced that migrant workers are required to re-new their TR 38/1 residential status and work permits within 60 days the Burmese embassy hasn’t provided any information as to how Burmese migrant workers can renew their permits. As a result, Burmese migrant workers have expressed concern that they don’t know how to maintain lawful immigration status or what will happen to them if they don’t obtain a temporary passport within 60 days.
IMNA: July 3rd
Last Monday, the NCPO launched Thailand’s first one-stop service center in for illegal migrant workers in Thailand to register for TR 38/1 status and work permits. The center is located in Samut Sakhon Province and is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
The NCPO’s plan to issue TR 38/1 status cards to migrant workers in Thailand is the same plan developed by Thaksin Shinawatra’s government in 2003-2004. The plan—which is consistent with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Burma and Thailand—requires migrant workers to undergo a medical check-up in order to obtain a work permit. Thereafter, migrant workers must apply for a temporary passport, which gives them the ability to lawfully travel between Thai provinces and between Thailand and Burma.
“There are lots of illegal migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province,” said Ko Khaing, a Burmese citizen living in Thailand. “They have to hide, and there are gangs of human traffickers and smugglers that profit from exploiting them. When international NGO’s release reports [about human trafficking], the Thai government gets blamed for human trafficking and loses dignity, so the Thai government is carrying out this plan in order to curb such illegal activities.”
Ko Khaing said that outside Samut Sakhon Province, one-stop service centers that issue TR 38/1 status cards have also opened in other provinces throughout Thailand. He also said the program enables Thai authorities to keep track of migrant workers and ensures that migrant workers possess proper immigration documents.
To apply for TR 38/1 residential status, migrant workers must pay a total of 1,305 Baht: 80 Baht for the TR 38/1 card; 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.
However, after receiving TR 38/1 status migrant workers must then obtain work permits and temporary passports within two months—otherwise they are subject to arrest.
Yet previous Thai migrant worker policies have been changed at the last minute, so it’s possible that the two-month deadline won’t be enforced. “The Burmese embassy [in Thailand] has not released [any statements about this program] yet. TR 38/1 status is only valid for two months, so there might be more policy changes after two months,” said Ko Kyaw Thiha, an advocate for Burmese migrant issues.
Although Thai military government has announced that migrant workers are required to re-new their TR 38/1 residential status and work permits within 60 days the Burmese embassy hasn’t provided any information as to how Burmese migrant workers can renew their permits. As a result, Burmese migrant workers have expressed concern that they don’t know how to maintain lawful immigration status or what will happen to them if they don’t obtain a temporary passport within 60 days.
