Bangkok, 700 foreign workers under investigation who occupied “places reserved for Thais”: they are street vendors, hairdressers, drivers and masseurs

BANGKOK (AsiaNews/Agencies) – In the last six months the Thai government has discovered over 700 foreigners occupying job positions reserved for Thai citizens. This was reported last week by government spokesperson Kharom Polpornklang, speaking about the activities of the employment department in recent months. After a series of complaints, received mainly from the country’s tourist provinces, from 1 October last year to 18 March, 25,628 businesses were unexpectedly inspected. Of these, 820 are under investigation for hiring migrant workers – 721 in total – to fill roles reserved for Thais. Most of the foreigners stopped were employed as street vendors, hairdressers, drivers and masseurs, Kharom Polpornklang continued, specifying that 316 came from Myanmar, 175 from Cambodia, 106 from Laos, 65 from India, 42 from Vietnam and 5 from China .

Prohibited occupations. In Thailand some occupations are strictly forbidden to foreigners: they mainly concern work related to traditional practices, such as making paper umbrellas, Thai dolls, begging bowls (used by monks) or images of the Buddha. Other jobs, however, allow exceptions in the case of qualified workers or international agreements with other countries for the sending of migrants.

Businesses run by foreigners. In recent days, Chalermpong Sangdee, a deputy of the Move Forward Party, asked the Parliamentary Commission on Economic Development that other activities in Phuket (a well-known tourist destination) be inspected in the same way. Often, he added, businesses, particularly some real estate companies, are run by foreigners on long-term visas.

The delivery of humanitarian aid. It is no coincidence, however, that most of the foreigners found in illegal situations came from Myanmar, where a brutal civil conflict has been ongoing since 2021. Today the first delivery of humanitarian aid was made for internally displaced people in Burma. Around 4,000 parcels containing food and other necessities were distributed by the Thai Red Cross and the Myanmar Red Cross through the Mae Sot (in Thailand) – Myawaddy (in Myanmar) border crossing.

The 20 thousand refugees from Myanmar. The project, part of a broader Thai peace initiative, is expected to reach 20,000 Burmese refugees displaced in Karen State, but had been harshly criticized by the Government of National Unity in exile because it relied on the permits granted by the military coup junta and because – considering the humanitarian tragedy taking place in Myanmar – it should be reproduced on a larger scale. According to the United Nations, in fact, at least 2.6 million people have been displaced by the fighting and more than 18 million are in need of assistance.