MP Pu-at Condemns Cabinet’s 2024 Foreign Worker Registration Resolution.

Bangkok: MP Pu-at has criticized the Cabinet's recent resolution to register foreign workers in 2024, warning that the policy could facilitate human trafficking and transnational crime in Thailand. He emphasized that the lack of required documentation and reliance on broker discretion could lead to exploitation and illegal activities, urging the Prime Minister to reconsider this decision. According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chai-amphon Manphienchit, an MP from the Thai Progressive Party, held a press conference to present evidence regarding illegal labor laundering and the influx of transnational criminals. He referenced the Cabinet's September 24, 2024 resolution, which outlined the necessary documents for registering foreign workers but included a clause allowing registration even without any documents, based on broker discretion. This loophole, he argued, could enable brokers to fabricate documents, allowing individuals without any legitimate claims to enter the country. Mr. Chaiyamphon illustrated the po tential dangers of this policy by describing a scenario where a criminal, after committing a serious offense in a neighboring country, could enter Thailand by paying a fee. This cycle, he warned, is perilous, as it enables foreign workers with criminal backgrounds to exploit the Thai system. He attributed the origins of such transnational crimes to the Ung Ing Cabinet's policy, which he believes opens the door for these activities. Additionally, Mr. Chai-am-Puan detailed the registration process for illegal workers, cautioning that it poses significant security risks. He expressed concern that it may take a severe incident, such as a mass crime, to prompt corrective action. However, by then, it might be too late, as the identities of these workers would have been falsified and integrated into the system. He further asserted that this policy could be a precursor to human trafficking and suggested complicity among high-ranking officials. Mr. Chai-amphon urged the Prime Minister to halt the registration proces s immediately. He cited the Director-General of the Department of Labor's admission in a committee meeting that illegal registrations do exist, though he personally had not found any wrongdoing in his three-month investigation. Mr. Chai-am-Puan also warned that if Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra fails to suspend or stop this policy, he would petition the Administrative Court to temporarily halt the registration process until a more secure policy is established. He hinted at further revelations regarding green cards, fake registrations, and labor issues linked to human trafficking, which he plans to use in an upcoming censure debate, emphasizing that the existing checkpoints are inadequate.