Myanmar migrant workers face financial hurdles applying for pink cards

By Admin 17 Dec 2024

DMG Newsroom
17 December 2024, Mrauk-U

Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand face financial constraints in applying for the legal identification cards known as pink cards.

It costs 10,000 baht (more than 1.3 million kyats) to renew documents, said Myanmar migrant workers. Agents charge up to 15,000 baht though the Thai government has announced that it would only cost around 8,000 baht to apply for a certificate of identity and pink card.

“My pink card is expiring. However, I have no money to renew it,” said Myanmar migrant worker Ko Thurein.

Pink cards are issued to migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam who entered Thailand illegally.

In some cases, factory owners have “helped” apply for pink cards for their workers and asked more than 10,000 baht from them, prompting protests.

The Thai government said applications can be submitted for 30 days beginning December 16, and that it would issue documents in March of next year.

Myanmar migrant Ko Sai Myo in Thailand said: “The Thai government has relaxed regulations for workers, but the Myanmar Embassy barely helps Myanmar migrants and agents ask for high fees. So, most workers can’t afford to pay.”

Migrants can work in Thailand under a government-to-government memorandum of understanding, or by applying for a certificate of identity and a pink card. The Thai government has threatened illegal migrants with fines as well as deportation and denial of re-entry into Thailand.

One woman helping migrant workers said: “Agents charge a lot, incurring huge costs for migrant workers. Some migrants who can't apply for legal documents remain as undocumented workers, and they, therefore, don’t enjoy full labour rights.”

The Thai government has said it would grant citizenship to nearly 500,000 migrants who have lived in Thailand for 17 to 25 years, making many Myanmar migrants eligible to become Thai citizens.