Thailand opposes Myanmar’s 25% remittance rule but insists CI centres must stay

BANGKOK – Thailand’s labour minister has voiced opposition to Myanmar’s requirement for migrant workers to remit 25% of their income to their home country, saying the measure runs counter to international principles, while insisting that Certificate of Identity (CI) centres remain necessary.

Julapun Amornvivat, the labour minister, said on Friday (6 November) that Thailand had raised concerns over Myanmar’s requirement for its nationals working abroad to remit 25% of their earnings and provide payslips covering the previous three to six months as a condition for obtaining CI documents.

Speaking at Pheu Thai Party headquarters following a meeting of the Foreign Workers Management Policy Committee earlier in the day, Julapun said the Ministry of Labour had already held two rounds of discussions with Myanmar’s ambassador.

The ministry is also preparing a formal letter through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Myanmar’s labour authorities and embassy to express Thailand’s concerns and objections to the requirements.

Julapun said the measures were inconsistent with international principles and individual rights concerning overseas employment, adding that Thailand would continue urging Myanmar to revise the procedures to comply with international standards.

CI centres remain necessary

Despite concerns over Myanmar’s requirements, Julapun said Thailand would not abolish CI centres, which are used to verify the identities of migrant workers.

Responding to proposals to replace the CI system with Thailand’s pink identification cards, he said identity verification required confirmation from workers’ countries of origin, including national identification records, household registration and biometric information.

He warned that allowing Thailand to conduct identity verification unilaterally, as had been done in the past, could create risks of identity fraud and undermine national security by making it more difficult for authorities to track individuals.

Julapun stressed that CI centres operate entirely on Thai territory and remain an important part of migrant worker management.

He said the government would instead prioritise negotiations with Myanmar to ensure that the procedures comply with international standards.

Work permits extended until 2029

The committee also approved several measures aimed at easing labour shortages and preventing disruptions to Thai businesses.

Work permits scheduled to expire between February and March 2027 will be extended, allowing affected migrant workers to continue working until 13 February 2029.

The government also agreed to temporarily allow more than 800,000 workers from three nationalities who currently lack legal status to remain and work in Thailand for another year.

Julapun said the measures were intended to maintain employment continuity and allow businesses to operate without interruption.

Thailand is also seeking to simplify procedures under labour cooperation agreements with Myanmar and Laos.

Under the proposed arrangements, migrant workers would still be required to return to their countries of origin but would only need to briefly cross the border before immediately re-entering Thailand to resume work.

The committee also approved expanding labour recruitment from Sri Lanka under an existing memorandum of understanding to help address workforce shortages.

Myanmar refugees to gain greater access to employment

Julapun said the government would also expand employment opportunities for people who had fled the conflict in Myanmar.

Under the measures, eligible refugees would be permitted to work legally within districts where temporary shelters are located without requiring work permits.

Their permitted employment period would also be extended from one year to two years.

The changes are intended to reduce the government’s burden in supporting displaced people while providing them with opportunities to enter the labour market.

The committee also discussed proposals to exempt certain foreign visitors from work permit requirements when participating in activities such as conferences, lectures, seminars, cultural performances and sporting competitions.

The legal framework for these exemptions will be considered at a subsequent meeting.

Addressing the continuing unrest in Myanmar, Julapun said the government had mechanisms to extend employment authorisation for workers whose identities had already been verified, subject to cabinet approval in certain cases.

He said the Ministry of Labour’s primary objective was to bring migrant workers of all nationalities into the formal registration system, allowing authorities to verify their identities, residential addresses and compliance with Thai laws.

The system would also help authorities prevent undesirable political activities within Thailand, he added.