Thai military junta denies crackdown on foreign workers

BANGKOK - Thailand's military-run National Council for Peace and Order on Monday clarified it had no policy to crack down on foreign migrant workers.

The clarification came in the wake of recent media reports of more than 130,000 Cambodian workers having fled back home from Thailand due to rumors that the junta would go after undocumented foreign labor.

NCPO deputy spokesman Winthai Suvari denied the crackdown, but added it was necessary for NCPO officials to inspect all areas where there are illegal foreign workers in a move to properly address the long-term issue.

Migrant workers must be properly documented so that they may work openly in Thailand rather than live in hiding from the authorities, Winthai said.

Solutions will be sought and implemented based on principles of upholding human rights and international standards in a bid to help both Thai businesses and foreign workers, he said.

Accordingly, migrant labor will be granted proper healthcare and supervision, Winthai said.

Official figures have shown that Thailand now accommodates around 440,000 registered Cambodian workers, but the exact number of unregistered ones remains unknown.