Employers Federation of Thailand has formally appealed to the forthcoming Thai government to eliminate the requirement for guest workers from neighboring countries (namely Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) to submit a report every 90 days.
According to President Ekasit Kunanantakul, the existing registration system entails a significant amount of bureaucratic processes, necessitating economic migrants to navigate through many entities such as registration centers, the immigration office, and the ministries of labor and health.
The aforementioned limitations resulted in prolonged waiting periods for new migrants, so delaying their legal authorization to participate in the Thai labor market.
Numerous analysts have posited that the 90-day reporting requirement, in essence, lacks essential significance and seldom succeeds in apprehending wrongdoers and malefactors, if at all.
The online, automated version known as the Foreigners Present in Cambodia System is referenced, which exempts foreigners residing in Cambodia for less than a month from the registration requirement.
However, individuals planning to stay for a longer duration are obligated to utilize the government application to indicate their residential location.
This entry retains its validity unless and until it is modified by the individual of foreign origin. Certainly, those who relocate without notifying the relevant authorities through the designated government application are subject to severe penalties.
Thailand currently accommodates a substantial population of registered guest workers, over one million individuals, alongside an indeterminate number of undocumented migrants.
The discrepancy is sometimes attributed to the elevated registration fees, while periodic amnesties provide an opportunity for individuals who have entered Thailand without proper documentation to register at a later time.
They can be observed throughout various sectors of the economy, including agriculture, fisheries, retail, the hospitality industry, and real estate development. In the city of Pattaya, individuals can also be observed engaging in employment under contractors who are tasked with overseeing various road-related initiatives.
These initiatives encompass a wide range of activities such as repairs, installation of lighting systems, underground cable installation, sewage management, water drainage, and expansion of highways.
Currently, there are only two types of visas that provide foreigners with an exemption from the 90-day bureaucratic process.
The first is the Smart Visa, which has a duration of four years and is commonly utilized by foreign technological experts in the Economic Corridors.
The second is the Long Term Visa, which spans a period of 10 years and is specifically designed for affluent global citizens, retirees with substantial pensions, and executives seeking to avail themselves of the advantages associated with income tax.
People who have permanent residency status—which is evident by the lack of an expiration date on their passport visa—do not need to report to immigration authorities. Instead, they are subject to a distinct administrative process that necessitates a yearly report to their local police station, whereupon they present their red book.
Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, leading officials in the field of immigration have expressed their intention to do a comprehensive evaluation of the existing bureaucratic processes spanning a period of 90 days. However, little progress has been made thus far.
