>> Over 1.3 million migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar completed their registration with the Labour Ministry on the last day of registration yesterday.
Commotion occurred at several of the Labour Ministry's one-stop service (OSS) centres nationwide as they filled up with migrant workers from the neighbouring countries turning up in droves to apply for registration.
Migrant labourers struggled against time to register with the OSS centres before the deadline.
Missing the deadline would have rendered their immigration status illegal and they would face deportation.
Department of Employments (DOE) director-general Anurak Thosarat said a commotion occurred at the OSS centre at IT Square in Bangkok yesterday morning because the centre could handle only about 1,700 applicants, but almost 10,000 turned up to register.
The solution was for them to apply for online registration on the DOE's website, with an average 100-150 workers registering online per minute, Mr Anurak said.
As of 8pm yesterday, a total of 1,379,252 workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar applied for registration, according to the ministry.
Of the total, 1,274,685 had been registered with the centres nationwide as the Bangkok Post went to press yesterday, and of these, 1,106,137 have undergone the national verification process.
A total of 958,737 have completed the required processes and been granted temporary work permits and national verification, known as pink papers.
The next step for those who have had their nationality verified is to apply for visas and work permits which will extend their stay until March 31, 2020.
Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo said yesterday the registration of migrant workers was 90% complete as of 8pm.
He expected the remaining 104,318 would have completed their online enrolment by midnight.
Since the OSS centres were running at full capacity on the last day of the registration, the ministry urged those who had not yet applied to do so online at the Department of Employment (DOE)'s mobile-friendly website www.express.doe.go.th before midnight.
After registering online, they would receive a text message informing them of their registration schedules to take place before June 30.
The government is facilitating temporary stays for migrant labourers so that they can arrange work permits after registering with the OSS centres.
Those who registered inside yesterday's deadline would be allowed to stay until June 30 in order to finalise the process.
After registering they must pass a health exam and go through a nationality verification process to obtain a certificate of identity -- a preliminary step before applying for a visa and work permit.
Once the entire process is completed, they can extend their stay in Thailand and work here until March 31, 2020.
Migrant workers were required to register by yesterday under the new labour law.
Failure to do so will result in a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht each for workers and 10,000 to 100,000 per worker for employers.
Repeat offences by employers would result in them being fined between 50,000 baht and 200,000 baht per worker, a jail term of not more than one year, and a three-year ban on being allowed to employ foreigners.
Migrant workers who had been temporarily allowed to work in the country but have not yet registered are at risk of being classified as illegal.
According to the cabinet resolution on Jan 16, about 2 million migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia were temporarily allowed to work in the kingdom until yesterday.
Before the deadline, those migrant workers were required to register and update their profile and working status at the OSS centres so the authorities could consider extending their stay.
Established on Feb 5, there are 83 OSS facilities nationwide, including four in Bangkok.
Those in Bangkok are located at the Labour Ministry, IT Square in Lak Si district, Big C store on Phetkasem Road, and the Tang Hua Seng in Thon Buri.
Jarin Jakkaphak, permanent secretary for labour, said yesterday labour authorities will meet tomorrow to assess the registration operation.
He added that the OSS centres will open again from April 18, albeit not nationwide but only in provinces with high numbers of migrant workers such as Bangkok, Chon Buri and Chiang Mai.
The centres will provide services until June 30 in parallel with the nationality verification of migrant workers, Mr Jarin said. As of 8 pm, 168,797 migrant workers had still not had their nationalities verified.
Mr Anurak gave assurances that migrant labourers who are legally permitted to take leave from their workplaces can do so between April 5-30 under a recent cabinet resolution to allow nationals of the three countries to celebrate the Buddhist New Year, or Songkran.
The cabinet agreed to allow alien workers, including those holding temporary work permits, to head home during the long holiday without surrendering their visas.
They can also take dependents aged under 18 with them but must return by April 30 or potentially forfeit their working visa.
