The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) of Thailand on November 12 approved a process to bring migrant workers into the country to solve the ongoing labour shortage, with rules to ensure the workers are free of infectious diseases.

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the Labour Ministry has proposed eight steps to ensure people from other countries can be safely hired without importing any fresh cases of COVID-19, and the CCSA has given its official consent. The new rules are due to take effect next month.

Workers must carry their approval forms with them as well as COVID-19 test results, vaccination documents, visas and information showing where they will be quarantined and what transport they are taking.

Fully vaccinated migrant workers must be quarantined for at least seven days and tested twice, while the unvaccinated have to spend two weeks in quarantine and carry out the same number of tests. Their employers will be responsible for all medical charges.

A survey of the Thai Employment Department in May this year showed Thai enterprises needed 256,029 workers from Myanmar, 130,138 from Cambodia and 38,536 from Laos, mostly for jobs in agriculture, animal husbandry, construction, hotel and garment.

Source: VNA