Thailand’s cabinet decided today to cut the employee contribution to the Social Security Fund from 3% to 0.5% of their salaries for February and March, but to retain employer and government contributions at 3% and 2.75% respectively.

The cabinet also approved the Labour Ministry’s proposal to review the management of migrants from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia currently working in Thailand.

Under the Labour Ministry’s plan, 1.4 million migrant workers holding “Pink cards” and who are currently undergoing medical checkups for the renewal of their visas, due by March 31^st, will have the deadline extended until July 30^th.

For 434,784 migrant workers, in Thailand under an MOU arrangement for two years and who are currently undergoing medical checkups and visa renewals, the deadline for the extension of their visas is now June 30^th.

For some 500,000 migrant workers in the process of registration for employment, the Labour Ministry has proposed biometric documentation, with the help of the Immigration Bureau, to facilitate the issuance of work permits by the Employment Department.

These migrants, however, must be screened for COVID-19 at private hospitals and at a cost of about 2,300 baht per person, because state hospitals are already overwhelmed.

The Labour Ministry has proposed that about 500 migrant workers, currently held in detention awaiting deportation, which is currently prevented by travel restrictions in their home countries, be released to do unskilled jobs until February 2023, to save the taxpayer meeting the two million baht per month cost of their upkeep.