A massive crackdown on illegal foreign workers has rocked Thailand’s party province of Chon Buri, with multiple raids, social media tip-offs, and a string of arrests hitting everything from restaurants to racy nightlife venues.
A joint task force yesterday, June 11, stormed businesses in the Bang Lamung district, rounding up eight undocumented workers at a company in the Huay Yai subdistrict.
Among the arrested were seven Myanmar nationals, five men and two women, along with a Cambodian woman, all accused of working without permits.
Officials confirmed they were slapped with charges under Section 8 of the Alien Employment Act, with stiff penalties under Section 101. The company’s director also got nicked for hiring the workers illegally, a separate offence under Section 9, with penalties under Section 102.
All suspects were carted off to Huay Yai Police Station for prosecution.
And that was just the beginning.
In a second sweep, the same day, immigration officials hit three Chinese restaurants on Pattaya Second Road, after concerned TikTok users flagged dodgy dealings.
Pattaya News reported that officers detained eight Myanmar nationals, two men and six women, for breaching labour laws. Five were charged with working without permits, while three others got hit with additional charges for failing to report their employment details to officials within the required 15-day window.
The group was hauled to Pattaya City Police Station, and complaints have been filed against their employers too, who are also now facing legal heat.
The operation is part of Thailand’s ongoing push to clean up illegal labour practices in key tourist and economic zones.
And it follows a similar sting earlier this year when, in the early hours of March 28, cops swooped in on The Wild 69 nightclub in Central Pattaya.
Acting on a tip-off, police stormed the Bang Lamung hotspot around 1am, uncovering six foreign women from Laos and Cambodia working as waitresses, all without legal documentation.
None of them could produce permits, and they were arrested on the spot.
Thai police say the raids will continue, with rogue employers and undocumented workers firmly in their sights.
The story Visa Las Vegas: Cops bust illegal workers in Chon Buri as seen on Thaiger News.
