The Thai cabinet has approved a plan of the Ministry of Labour to allow more than 500,000 foreign workers with legal documents to stay longer for working in the Southeast Asian country until March 2022.

Bangkok Thailand (Source: picswe.com)

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the approval was given according to the government's new guidelines on the management of migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry’s guidelines aim to ensure the country maintains the labour force needed to strengthen the economy, but also reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections spreading from foreign nationals.

Rachada said the cabinet has decided to allow migrant workers holding passports, certificates of identity and other travel documents, excluding border passes, to continue working from the end of October this year when their permits expire, until 31 March, 2022.

There are about 650,000 workers who fall in this group, she added.

Source: VNA