Nearly 3,500 migrant workers from Myanmar protested across Thailand last week to demand a reduction in work permit and visa renewal fees, reported a labor rights group assisting workers from Myanmar in Thailand.
Thirty Myanmar migrant workers were fired and four were arrested – but later released – at a protest outside of BIS Pipe Fitting Industry in Samut Sakhon Province of Thailand, 26 miles (43 km) southwest of the capital Bangkok, on Dec. 19.
The workers claimed that they pay 10,000 THB ($294 USD) per person for a two-year work permit, which includes visa renewal fees, when the official cost is 3,700 THB ($117 USD) per migrant worker, according to AAC.
“The violent arrests of Myanmar workers who were simply requesting a small fee reduction is unacceptable from both labor and human rights perspectives,” Ye Min, the Aid Alliance Committee (AAC) spokesperson, told DVB.
The factory responded, stating that the cost covers Myanmar embassy documentation, health checks, work permit processing, and administrative fees.
At a factory in Samut Prakan Province of Thailand, 21 miles (34 km) southeast of Bangkok, an agreement was reached with over 2,100 Myanmar migrant workers, on Dec. 19.
The work permit and visa renewal fee costs were reduced from 9,200 to 6,500 THB ($270-191 USD), according to AAC.
Another 80 workers at a steel factory in Chonburi Province of Thailand, 77 miles (124 km) southeast of Bangkok, negotiated to lower the visa fee from 13,000 to 7,500 THB ($379-218) after a protest on Dec. 17.
On the same day, approximately 1,200 workers at a factory in Nakhon Pathom Province, 34 miles (55 km) west of Bangkok, also staged a protest to reduce visa fees. No agreement has been reached between the workers and employer yet, according to AAC.
A factory in Phetchabun Province of Thailand, 214 miles (345 km) north of Bangkok, agreed to reduce the work permit and visa renewal fees for over 1,000 migrant workers from Myanmar after a protest on Dec. 16. The fee was dropped from 11,500 to 6,000 THB ($335-175 USD), according to AAC.
“The workers already have all their official documents. Government rates set the total cost for a two-year permit renewal at 3,700 Thai baht,” said Ye Min from AAC.
“However, workers typically rely on brokers and agencies for the renewal process due to language barriers and complex procedures. While workers can afford to pay 6,000-7,000 baht, the agency’s charge of 11,000 baht is too high. That’s why they’re demanding a reduction,” he added.
The Media Intelligence Group’s 2023 report stated that there are approximately 6.8 million Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand with only 1.8 million officially registered. Migrant workers typically earn between 10,000-15,000 THB ($294-441 USD) per month.
Thailand has become the primary destination for Myanmar migrants, who have arrived in even larger numbers since the 2021 military coup. A further increase followed the announcement of the military conscription law on Feb. 10.
