Bangkok: The Cabinet has approved a relaxation for Cambodian workers working in border provinces in Thailand to stay for six months, starting from June 7, 2025, after measures were implemented to control travel times through checkpoints. Mr. Jirayu Huangtrakul, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, revealed that due to the unrest on the Thai-Cambodian border and the measures to control border crossings, groups of Cambodian migrant workers who came to work in various provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border and used border passes permitted under Section 64 of the Emergency Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers’ Employment, whose employment period or period of permission to stay had expired and who had to leave Thailand to return, were unable to enter or exit, causing them to stay in Thailand beyond the permitted period (Overstay) and have an illegal status. Currently, the group of migrant workers whose employment period or period of permission to stay had expired totals 47,348 people, as of June 20
25. Some of their work permits will gradually expire until the end of September 2025.

According to Thai News Agency, the Cabinet meeting agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Labor by granting a special exemption to target foreigners to stay in the Kingdom to work along the border for a period of six months from the date of the announcement of the Ministry of Interior, effective June 7, 2025. The reason is that this date marks when border control measures will start or until border control measures return to normal, allowing travel in and out of permanent border crossings of both countries as usual for a period of not less than one month. The Cabinet also exempted foreigners from fines for staying in the Kingdom beyond the specified period.

Foreigners can submit a work permit application either in person or via the Ministry of Labor’s electronic system, along with the documents and evidence specified by the Department of Employment, and pay the application fee (100 baht) and the work permit fee (225 baht) within 30 days from the date of application. Foreigners must undergo a health examination at a government hospital and register as insured persons for foreigners who work in businesses or are employees not subject to the Social Security Act, such as domestic servants, those working in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and animal husbandry who are not hired all year round, or those working occasionally or seasonally. They must have health insurance according to the Ministry of Public Health’s announcement on health examinations and health insurance for foreign workers (they cannot have health insurance with private companies). When all the specified procedures have been completed, the registrar will allow the foreigner to work for three months a
t a time. If the foreigner wishes to continue working in the Kingdom, he or she must submit a work permit application along with the documents and evidence and pay the fee as specified above.