The Ministry of Labor, through the Department of Employment, emphasizes that employers must urgently submit applications to renew work permits for foreign workers from four nationalities: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam by February 13, 2025. This is to protect the rights and welfare of both workers and employers, while strictly enforcing penalties under the law. Employers who hire foreign workers without valid work permits or whose permits have expired face fines of up to 100,000 baht per foreign worker. Additionally, foreign workers who are found working illegally may be fined up to 50,000 baht and will be repatriated to their home countries.

Minister of Labor, Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, stated that the Ministry recognizes the importance of managing foreign labor in Thailand, particularly in terms of safeguarding workers' rights and ensuring equal treatment. Therefore, there is a policy to support the management of foreign workers from the four nationalities mentioned. As of November 25, 2024, there are approximately 2.4 million foreign workers whose work permits will expire on February 13, 2025. Thus, employers and workers in these groups are encouraged to expedite their applications for work permit renewals by the deadline to ensure they can continue to live and work in Thailand.

Mr. Somchai Morakotsriwan, Director-General of the Department of Employment, added that applying for work permit renewals not only allows foreign workers to earn a living legally but also guarantees their access to rights and legal protections. Thailand has established strict penalties for foreign workers who enter the country illegally. Specifically, foreign workers found working illegally face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht and will be repatriated. They will also be ineligible to apply for work permits for two years. Furthermore, the law imposes penalties on employers as well. Employers who hire foreign workers without valid work permits or who allow them to work beyond their permitted scope face fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 baht per foreign worker hired. Repeat offenders may face imprisonment of up to one year or fines of 50,000 to 200,000 baht per foreign worker hired, or both, and will be prohibited from hiring foreign workers for three years. According to statistics from the fiscal year 2024, as of September 30, 2024, the Department of Employment inspected 63,213 employers/businesses, found violations, and took legal action against 2,156 employers/businesses. They also inspected 851,194 foreign workers, found violations, and took legal action against 4,563 individuals, resulting in total fines collected amounting to 2,862,150 baht.

The Department of Employment therefore invites employers to expedite the submission of work permit renewal applications according to the guidelines set by the Department by February 13, 2025, so that foreign workers can retain their rights to stay and work until February 13, 2027. For more information, please contact the provincial employment offices in every province, the Bangkok Employment Office (Areas 1-10), the Ministry of Labor hotline at 1506, press 2 for the Department of Employment, or the Department of Employment hotline at 1694 (available 24 hours).