Lao migrant workers holding temporary work permits are being urged to "upgrade" their employment status by deadline or they will face deportation.
Department of Employment chief Waranont Pitiwan said Lao workers with temporary documents known as pink cards must complete upgrading their employment status by March 15 next year to retain their jobs.
Those who fail to do so will be deported and if they want to seek jobs here they will be required to apply for work under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), he said.
The status upgrade process is similar to the nationality verification process for Myanmar and Cambodian workers.
Mr Waranont said Lao authorities will provide the service at IT Square shopping mall in Bangkok's Lak Si district starting today until March 15 next year.
After the upgrade, the Lao workers will be issued a certificate of identity (CI) and work permit card (WP) which can be used to apply for work permits with Thai labour officials.
He said there are two groups of Lao migrant workers holding pink cards: the first group is in the fishery and seafood processing industries and the other in the general labour sector.
The department chief said the Lao workers, especially those in the fishery and seafood processing industries, should hurry because their pink cards expire on Nov 1 this year.
However, those in the general labour sector must make sure they have their status upgraded before their pink cards expire on March 31 next year, he added.
Mr Waranont said workers must first obtain a document from Thai labour officials allowing them to leave their designated areas to complete the nationality verification process.
They will need four documents: a permit to leave the area, a pink card, an appointment slip and some form of ID, such as a driving licence, to undergo the process. They will have to pay a fee of 2,500 baht.
