Bangkok is the most popular place for foreigners to work in Thailand. Approximately 30 per cent of the foreign workers do their business here.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Labour as of Jan 19, there were 1,310,690 foreign workers in Thailand, Thai News Agency today writes.
Most of the workers have had expired work permits since February 28, and they must go through the nationality verification process. However, they are temporarily allowed to stay in Thailand to await being deported to their home counties by Feb 29, 2012.
According to Dr. Siriwat Tiptaradol, Deputy Permanent-Secretary of Public Health, there are some problems with staying in Thailand without a work permit. Being inaccessible to public health services, foreigners might tend to carry contagious diseases to Thai people, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The Public Health Ministry now asks employers to take their workers for medical examinations before starting work.
