A total of 2,944 migrants, more than half of them from Burma, were found to be working illegally at 5,626 businesses inspected throughout Thailand during the past 11 months, Arak Prommanee, the director-general of the country’s Employment Department, said on Tuesday.

Arak said between 1 October of last year and 31 August of this year, the department inspected 2,988 businesses with 52,639 migrant workers in Bangkok, in compliance with an order issued by Thailand’s ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order.

He said 1,298 workers were found not to have a work permit — 675 from Burma, 88 from Laos, 381 from Cambodia and 154 from other countries.  Legal action was taken against 217 employers.

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In other provinces, the department inspected 2,638 businesses employing 46,416 migrant workers and found 1,646 of them — 939 from Burma, 120 from Laos, 370 from Cambodia and 127 from other countries — without a work permit.  Legal action was taken against 264 firms.

“Migrant workers from Myanmar [Burma], Laos and Cambodia are allowed to be hired for manual labour in 24 types of business and domestic household work. According to a royal decree of 1979, 39 other occupations are reserved for Thai citizens,” Arak said.