Foreign volunteers hear they need work permits

[Sawatdee]

Foreign helpers hear they need work permits

Bangkok Post, 2nd March 2005
PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN

More than 1,000 foreign volunteers from about 25 countries helping tsunami survivors rebuild shattered lives were outraged yesterday to hear they face legal action by the Labour Ministry unless they have a work permit.

Sombat Boonngam-anong, director of the Chiang Rai-based Krajok Ngao Foundation, said confusion and anger reigned among the foreign volunteers at Khao Lak in Phangnga's Takua Pa district when a Labour Ministry official told a local English-language newspaper that they were required to register with the ministry for a work permit otherwise legal action would be taken against them starting March 1.

The official was reported as saying that although the volunteers were not earning any money, they were still required to have a work permit.

''The report has also appeared on websites, causing panic among the volunteers. They are now asking what they should do next. We can't get the right answers for them,'' Mr Sombat said.

Labour Ministry officials, after the interview was published, also went to their living quarters, raising more concern among the volunteers.

''If a volunteer is arrested, we will fight hard to have him freed. What's the point in getting them registered?

''As several thousand have come on a rotational basis, this would only make their work difficult,'' said Mr Sombat.

He suggested that the cabinet pass a resolution to relax some legal requirements to facilitate the volunteers' work.

Senator Kraisak Choonhavan, chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, expressed concern over the matter. He said the volunteerswere are not only helping the tsunami victims but also promoting tourism and bringing in donations.

''The Labour Ministry is not doing the right thing by treating them like alien workers. This will only lead to criticism by the international community,'' he said.

He sent a letter to the Labour Ministry opposing the move, he said, and was told by Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong's secretary that as far as he knew the ministry had no such policy.

[SiamJai]

What a shame. Actions like these should highlight the question: what is the reason for workpermits anyway?

-to protect the interests of home businesses and industries from foreign intrusion?

The foreign volunteers in the South are helping the re-estblishment of the local infrastucture, thus indirectly helping these home businesses and industries.

-to protect the nation from underqualified foreigners flooding the Thai job market?
The situation in the South needs any and all helping hands. There are no such interests to protect.

Apparently, it's time for Thailand to revise its work permit policy.

[Mike]

This was known about a month ago (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=26847) , I'm not sure why it's taken the Bangkok Post so long to get round to covering it. Surely these volunteer agencies knew of the regulation and could have helped their volunteers last month, before the March deadline came round ? Even so, it seems a bit unbelievable to me that any genuine volunteer would face serious legal action by the government unless they go out of their way to flout the rules. Can but wait and see I guess.

[Sawatdee]

Aid volunteers may be ‘security threat’
The Nation, Published on March 03, 2005

For reasons of national security, legal action should be taken against foreign aid volunteers helping victims of December’s tsunami as they do not hold work permits, Labour Ministry permanent secretary Charupong Ruangsuwan said yesterday

He said the government had allowed aid volunteers to provide disaster relief services without work permits after the tsunami hit Thailand, but they continue to remain in the country although they are no longer needed.

“They have to understand that we have regulations and they have to comply with them,” Charupong said.

“We have to prevent national security problems. There could be ill-intentioned groups posing as volunteers and that would be hard to control. The Interior Ministry and we are concerned.’’

However, Chakarin Patdamrongchit, secretary to Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong, said the ministry had no policy of arresting foreign volunteers, adding that the government should be lenient with them.

He said Employment Department director-general Chuthathawat Intarasuksri had not arrested anyone and he believed officials would not do so without a clear policy from Uraiwan.

The issue prompted Thammasat University law lecturer Phunthip Kanchanachitra Saisoonthorn to call on the government yesterday to issue a Cabinet resolution to allow foreign relief volunteers to continue to help Thai tsunami victims without work permits.

She said the country needed the help of volunteers, but the government also needed coordinators between the state and aid groups.

Mirror Foundation director Sombat Bun-ngamaong, dismissed Charupong’s reasons of national security as unreasonable. He said state officials should single out those who pose a threat to national security.

“The government cannot take care of all the tsunami victims. We have to let these people continue their work here,’’ he said.

[renny]

Hi....
I came to know many interesting facts about Thailand.....
Thanks man.....

[FaranginPhetch]

You will not get much useful info from 3 year old threads I am afraid..

[DavidDane]

HI...

For reasons of national security, legal action should be taken against foreign aid volunteers helping victims of December’s tsunami as they do not hold work permits, Labour Ministry permanent secretary Charupong Ruangsuwan said yesterday

He said the government had allowed aid volunteers to provide disaster relief services without work permits after the tsunami hit Thailand, but they continue to remain in the country although they are no longer needed.

“They have to understand that we have regulations and they have to comply with them,” Charupong said.

“We have to prevent national security problems. There could be ill-intentioned groups posing as volunteers and that would be hard to control. The Interior Ministry and we are concerned.’’

However, Chakarin Patdamrongchit, secretary to Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong, said the ministry had no policy of arresting foreign volunteers, adding that the government should be lenient with them.