Thai province gets ready for thousands of returning migrant workers

Civil groups representing the five regions of Thailand are calling on the government to lift the state of emergency, arguing that it can easily be abused, and are instead proposing that the government use the disease control law and related regulations to curb the contagion. The government has extended the state of emergency by another month until June 30. Photo by Thanachai Pramarnpanich, May 26, 2020/NationPhoto.

BANGKOK — Samut Sakhon province is bracing for the 5,400 migrant workers set to return from Myanmar next month by demanding that employers arrange facilities for their 14-day quarantine.

Provincial governor Veerasak Vijitsaengsri said the authorities and the private sector are confident they can control the spread of Covid-19 among migrant workers, who will return to work next month.

About 600 enterprises in Samut Sakhon will re-employ 5,400 migrants from Myanmar under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two governments. These workers had returned to Myanmar to obtain related documentation and are expected to return to work over the next two months.

Meanwhile, he said, based on measures in place to control the spread of the virus, employers are required to put the returnees under a 14-day quarantine before they are allowed to work.

A room with an en suite bathroom needs to be provided for each worker, and if it is necessary to have two workers in one room, then their beds must be kept at least a meter apart.

Employers are required to check each worker’s temperature and they must be provided with face masks and hand-sanitizing gel.

Veerasak added that he was not worried about legal migrant workers spreading the virus, but was more concerned about illegal migrants who are not screened.