After a raid on a daycare centre in Koh Phangan uncovered suspected labour law violations, Thailand has now decided to tighten nationwide checks on foreign workers, Khaosod English reports.
The Labour Ministry is launching a countrywide crackdown aimed at illegal employment and better enforcement of work permit rules.
Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat has ordered the Department of Employment to step up inspections across Thailand. Authorities will work together with police and immigration officers to check workplaces and ensure foreign workers are properly registered and working within their permitted roles.
Inspection teams are now being deployed in all provinces, including Bangkok. The focus is on identifying workers without permits, as well as employers who fail to comply with labour laws.
Officials also say work permit applications for certain groups will be reviewed more strictly, due to national security concerns.
Foreigners working without permission can face fines, deportation, and bans from re-entering the Thai labour market, and employers risk heavy fines per worker. In serious cases, imprisonment and longer-term bans on hiring foreign staff.
The government says this is not a one-off action, but part of a wider and ongoing effort to tighten labour control across the country.
