A four-month grace period before enforcing the new decree governing the employment of migrant workers is not enough. Obeying the existing laws would cripple small and medium-sized enterprises that employ between 10 and 20 foreign workers. To operate legally, a small-scale construction contractor with 10 migrant workers would need to spend Bt200,000 on the required fees. Of course, if the same firm chose to ignore the law and employ illegal workers, it would risk bankruptcy – the fine could be Bt8 million. As long as the economy needs migrant workers and can absorb them, no effort to restrict or bar them should be contemplated.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 03, 2017 15:56 UTC