To tackle illegal employment, Phuket is tightening its grip on the island’s massive migrant workforce, which now includes around 126,980 workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Provincial officials are stepping up their efforts to ensure foreign workers comply with regulations, with a new focus on monitoring businesses and ensuring fairness in employment practices.
On Monday, June 23, Thanapong Oncharoen, the Phuket Provincial Labour Welfare and Protection Officer, chaired a crucial meeting at the Phuket Provincial Employment Office.
This was the second meeting of the working group responsible for inspecting foreign workers and ensuring employers comply with labour laws. The discussion centred on tightening controls and improving the system that governs migrant labour in the region.
As of May 25, Phuket had 15,233 foreign nationals holding valid work permits. This included 14,460 temporary workers, 517 workers under investment promotion programmes, and 250 minority workers. Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing monsoon season, inspections have continued without pause, with officials ramping up efforts to crack down on illegal employment.
Between May and June this year, a total of 2,850 establishments were inspected, targeting 25,940 migrant workers. Of these, 2,293 businesses and 20,060 workers were checked, resulting in prosecutions against nine employers and 48 foreign workers who were found in violation of the country’s labour laws. This marked a significant step in ensuring that foreign workers are not exploited or employed under unfair conditions.
Provincial officials also emphasised the growing concern over Cambodian workers, particularly due to recent reports of illegal border crossings and unauthorised employment. With this in mind, officials have called for more stringent monitoring, especially of Cambodian workers in the province.
To ensure better enforcement, more government agencies will be added to the working group, including the Phuket Provincial Local Government, the Public Health Office, and the Social Development and Human Security Office, reported The Phuket News.
Officials made it clear that the ultimate goal is not just to enforce the law, but also to manage foreign labour in a systematic, lawful, and fair manner, in line with national policies. Officials also stated that closer cooperation between various government bodies will be crucial to ensuring the success of this initiative.
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