Labor Minister Defends CI Centers, Opposes Myanmar's 25% Remittance Demand
Thailand's Labor Minister confirmed CI centers will remain open and announced a formal diplomatic protest against Myanmar's demand that migrant workers surrender 25% of their earnings. The Foreign Workers Policy Committee also approved extended work permits, a one-year amnesty for 800,000 undocumented workers, and new labor agreements with Myanmar, Laos, and Sri Lanka to address labor shortages.
Labor Minister Chulaphan Amornvivat confirmed Thailand will not abolish Certificate of Identity (CI) centers and is preparing a formal diplomatic letter opposing Myanmar's demand that migrant workers remit 25% of their earnings. The announcement followed a November 6 meeting of the Foreign Workers Policy Committee at Pheu Thai Party headquarters.
The committee approved a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar and Laos allowing workers to briefly return home — just touching soil — before immediately re-entering Thailand to work, preventing labor shortages. Work permits expiring between February and March 2027 will be extended to February 13, 2029. A one-year amnesty covers more than 800,000 undocumented workers from three nationalities. Sri Lanka was added as a new source country under an existing MOU.
Myanmar war refugees sheltering in designated districts can now work legally without permits for up to two years. The committee also proposed exempting foreigners attending meetings, seminars, cultural shows, or sports events from work permit requirements.
Chulaphan stressed CI centers operate entirely on Thai soil and require Myanmar to verify workers' identities, preventing identity fraud and security risks. The Labor Ministry has twice summoned Myanmar's ambassador and is sending a formal protest via the Foreign Ministry against the 25% remittance rule and mandatory salary slip checks, calling them violations of international norms. The minister rejected replacing CI centers with pink cards, saying unilateral Thai verification could enable identity theft and undermine tracking.
