Thai TV Channel 3 on Monday reported that the Thai government plans to issue a large number of work permits for migrant workers, so they may stay in Thailand.

One Mon migrant worker in Bangkok told IMNA how many different industries have almost gone out of business due to a lack of available labor. They added that they thought the government had arrested many of the migrant workers.

Said the worker about the town of Maharchai, “most of the industry is there. Now they [the large factories] need 700,000 migrant workers. So the bosses asked the Thai authorities to issue work permits.” This figure was corroborated by a member of the NGO, Labour Rights Promotion Networks (LRPN), which is based in Maharchai.

In June the government will first allow those workers holding current permits to apply to extend them for another year, said a volunteer at the Raks Thai Foundation.

a volunteer at the Raks Thai Foundation reports that in July work permits will be issued by the Thai government to new migrant workers and existing workers who formerly lacked legal status. In Maharchai approximately 300,000 new permits will be issued.

New permits will cost 6,500 Baht each and extended permits will cost 4,500. Currently the work permits do not allow work or travel in other towns unless the boss has given permission. But in 2010 this will change. In 2010, the work permits that have been in effect for a full year can be redeemed into a passport that allows unrestricted work and travel in Thailand; in addition, these permits will allow migrant workers easier travel to and from their home countries.

This will be only the third time that the Thai government has given permits to a significant number of migrant workers since they began to issue them 12 years ago, said the LRPM. There are more than 2,000,000 Burmese currently living in Thailand, along with 2,000,000 other foreigners, many from Lao and Cambodia.

“If we have a work permit card, we can go and do anything,” said an exuberant migrant worker from Phuket Town.