Officials detained 121 foreign nationals during a raid on a construction site inside an industrial estate in Pathum Thani yesterday, June 11, after residents complained that Chinese nationals were allegedly taking construction jobs reserved for Thai workers.
The joint operation involved the Labour Ministry’s employment protection division, Pathum Thani security officials, immigration police, and military intelligence officers from the 1st Army Region.
The target site was located in Khlong Nueng subdistrict, Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani province.
When officials arrived, they found a large number of Chinese workers and other foreign workers spread across the site. After seeing soldiers and immigration police surrounding the area, many workers reportedly panicked and ran in different directions.
Officials had blocked the site’s entry and exit points before the raid, allowing them to detain more than 100 workers. The workers were then taken to Pathum Thani Immigration Office for detailed checks of their records and documents.
After forensic checks of passports and work permits, officials found 121 foreign nationals allegedly violating Thai law. The group included 86 Chinese nationals without work permits, 33 Myanmar nationals accused of illegal entry and illegal work, and two Cambodian nationals accused of illegal work.
Another 24 migrant workers were found to be legally registered and allowed to stay and work in Thailand. Officials released them after the document checks.
The raid followed complaints and tip-offs from residents alleging that a large group of Chinese nationals had been secretly taking construction contracting and civil works jobs inside the estate.
Officials said the work allegedly breached Thai labour laws and involved jobs reserved for Thai nationals.
The case also raised public concern that some of the workers may have entered Thailand illegally or could be connected to transnational crime networks linked to so-called Chinese grey businesses.
Following the raid, arresting officers recorded the personal details of all 121 accused workers and informed them of the allegation of being foreigners working without a work permit, or working beyond the rights allowed under Thai law.
Under current law, employers may face fines ranging from 5,000 baht to 5 million baht. Workers may face fines ranging from 5,000 baht to 50,000 baht.
Naewna reported that the 121 accused workers were handed over to local investigators for legal proceedings. Immigration police will also process their deportation from Thailand.
In a similar incident elsewhere, Bangkok police arrested five Chinese nationals for working illegally as construction workers. They were reportedly earning 2,200 baht per day, significantly higher than Thailand’s minimum wage and the standard pay rate for legal construction workers.
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