Thai authorities have arrested 39 Myanmar migrant workers for illegal entry in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. The arrest took place at 6:30 AM in That Kanun village, where authorities intercepted two vehicles carrying the undocumented migrants. The group consisted of 27 men and 12 women, all of whom were detained for entering Thailand without proper documentation. The authorities have filed charges against them for illegal entry into the country.
Simultaneously, a concerning labor rights violation case has emerged in Bangkok involving 14 Myanmar workers at a garment factory. These workers, employed at a factory located on 66/6 Road in Ekachai Bang Bo, Bangkok, have been facing serious workplace issues despite having legal work status. They have not only been denied full wages but have also had their important work documents confiscated by their employer. The workers have been employed at the factory for over a year, but their salary payments have been irregular, particularly from July until August 23rd, during which they received only half of their entitled wages.
When the workers decided to leave their jobs due to these deteriorating conditions, the employer refused to return their pink work permit cards and withheld their outstanding wages, which amount to over 80,000 Thai Baht. According to Ko Mone Tine from the Workers’ Alliance Group (WAG), the employer, who is also a Myanmar national, has been completely uncooperative, refusing to engage in any negotiations and even declining phone calls from mediators. As a result, they are now working through the local labor office to recover both the workers’ wages and their confiscated documentation. The situation has left these workers in a particularly vulnerable position, as they cannot seek new employment without their documentation, which the employer has no legal right to withhold.
