As the 4 year-term of Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation of Employment of 3 Nationalities (Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar) (MoU) had expired, the period of employment of those 4 nationalities therefore was over.
Under this situation, extension of duration of stay and continue working in Thailand for those 3 nationalities has been raised. This is to reduce bringing of new aliens from abroad into the Kingdom, reducing the risk of COVID-19 spreading from those arriving from abroad or from those returning to their home countries and re-entering into the Kingdom and strengthening the national health security as well as to prevent a new wave of epidemic that may be occurred.
On 10 November 2020, the Cabinet resolved its approval on a guideline as proposed by the Ministry of Labor in regard to foreigners who work in Thailand under the MoU for staying and continue working in Thailand as summarized below.
- The workers of such 3 nationalities shall contact the relevant employment offices and immigration offices during the period from 1 November 2020 to 31 December 2021 for extension of their permission to stay and work in the Kingdom.
- The workers who would like to extend their period of staying and working in the Kingdom shall conduct as follows:
- Having a health check up to obtain a medical certificate.
- Applying for working permission at the relevant employment offices. The period of permission shall not exceed two years.
- Requesting for permission to stay in the Kingdom at the relevant immigration offices in which the period of permission shall not be more than one year at a time. The passport or any of its substitute documents for obtaining this extension of period of stay shall be valid for not less than one year. The immigration officer will grant its permission to stay in the Kingdom equal to the period of validity of passport or its substitute documents.
- Preparing a record of non-Thai individual which is in accordance with the Interior Ministry’s Ministerial Regulations.
Author: Panisa Suwanmatajarn, Jinnaphat Srithepthamrong and Pithayut Ra.thee