EABC RECOMMENDS REMOVING TM.30 COMPLETELY

More industry and NGO groups are lining up with criticism or calls for abolishment of the embattled TM30 and TM28 immigration forms. Most of the criticisms focus on the draconian nature of the forms, confusion around interpretation and the problems with inconsistent implementation.

Trade and commerce organisations are saying it flies in the face of the government’s wishes for Thailand to be a place to invest in and conduct business.

Now, the European Association of Business and Commerce is recommending to the Thai government to completely do away with the TM30.

“And, as an immediate step towards achieving that, remove from its scope many categories of foreigners.”

They say the same applies to the related TM28 form as well.
 
“The TM30 process has been in the news due to its inconvenience, questions about its value and usefulness, the questions it raises about commitment to ‘ease of doing business’ and the recent, almost inexplicable crackdown via an old law much of which has been dormant for decades.”

“The TM30 form and process in effect requires landlords to report on the location and movement of foreigners who are their tenants. Hotels have the same obligation but for foreign tourists staying in hotels, it is not noticed by those tourists as the hotel uses the TM6 arrival card information from their foreign guests.”

“Section 38 of the Immigration Act (which is the basis of TM30) has been around since 1979, but was not enforced until since late March 2019. It is being enforced inconsistently with various local interpretations. TM.28 (supported by s. 37 of the Immigration Act) is an often overlapping obligation on foreigners to report.”

The submission has been made to Dr. Kobsak Pootrakool, Deputy Secretary‐General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs.

Source - EABC and The Thaiger

Thai labour ministry sets up 99 centres to register illegal foreign workers.

Thailand's labour ministry plans to register workers from Myanmar who do not have proper documents at 99 migrant centres around the nation, according to Thai-based migrant worker rights groups.

 Petcharat Sinouy, inspector-general and spokesperson of the Thai Labour Ministry, said in a statement last week that the migrant centres will gather documents and photographs from workers and their employers.

She also said employees will be given a receipt by the migrant centre officer who accepts the documents.

U Aung Kyaw, vice chair of the Migrant Workers Rights Network, told The Myanmar Times on Tuesday that the migrant centres will be open every day from July 24 to August 7 to register illegal migrant workers.

Migrant workers who get the receipts from the Labour Ministry can go back to Myanmar and will be allowed to return to their Thai employers as legal workers within 180 days, said U Aung Kyaw.

“Under the program, employers who hire illegal foreigner workers must inform a migrant centre within 15 days to get the receipts. Illegal workers who have receipts can apply for a certificate of identity or can return home for apply for a passport,” said U Aung Kyaw.

“The receipts are essential for illegal workers,” he added.

The registration program is intended to address the lack of workers in Thailand and to help employers in Thailand who are using illegal foreigner workers, according to the group.

But Ko Shwe Tun Aye, chair of the Migrant Workers Network in Phuket, said 15 days are not enough for workers and employers to prepare for registration.

Other Myanmar migrant activists also said the two governments must work together to supervise the migrant registration program to prevent illegal Myanmar migrant workers from being exploited by unscrupulous brokers working with some employers and corrupt officials.

They said Myanmar migrant workers have been exploited in every program for illegal migrants that has been tried in Thailand.

The Thai government launched a crackdown on illegal foreign workers after issuing harsh new labour laws on June 23 that include a prison term and a fine for employers who hire illegal workers.

Thousands of Myanmar migrant workers have returned home, and Thai business have faced a shortage of workers.

After a public uproar, the government was forced to suspend the new laws for six months to give illegal migrant workers and their employers more time to satisfy the new requirements.

There are about four million Myanmar migrant workers living and working in Thailand, of which about one million do not have the proper documents, according to Myanmar migrant right groups.

Source - MMTIMES