Migrant passport applications surge

By Kyaw Hsu Mon
August 22 - 28, 2011

THE number of temporary passports issued to illegal migrant workers in Thailand has more than quadrupled in the past 12 months, largely because of the opening of a registration office in Thailand, a senior Special Branch official said last week.

More than 530,000 passports had been issued to August 15 since the program was launched in July 2009, up from just 118,000 in July last year, the official said, citing Ministry of Home Affairs statistics.

Of the total, 341,596 were issued through an office at Ranong in Thailand, which opened on June 30, 2010. The Tachileik office had issued 94,062 passports to August 15.

When the program was launched, migrant workers could apply for the passports at offices in Myawaddy, Kayin State, Tachileik, Shan State and Kawthoung in Tanintharyi Region. However, the Myawaddy office has been closed since July 2010, while the Kawthoung office was shifted to Ranong the following month.

“The Ranong office has issued the highest numbers of passports even though it’s only been open about a year because it’s more convenient for Myanmar workers in Thailand,” the official said. “However, at this stage we don’t plan to open any more offices in Thailand.”

In July 2011, the validity of the temporary passports was extended from three to six years.

Ko Phone Myint, a 34-year-old postgraduate student at Chiang Mai University said the temporary passport system had been beneficial for both migrant workers and the Thai government.

He said it would be more convenient for workers if offices were opened in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

“Before the temporary passports were introduced, the Thai government was always concerned about its national security, while Myanmar workers didn’t dare go anywhere except their workplace because they only had a labour card. Now the Thai government can monitor the workers and they can also travel around the country with this passport –they can even fly back to Myanmar,” he said.