THE number of foreigners applying for permission to work in Phuket has
increased over the past 12 months.

Most of the applications have come from people involved in the diving and hotel businesses.

According to figures released by Phuket’s Provincial Employment Office, 8555 work permits were issued to foreigners in January this year compared to 7846 in January last year.

Supawadee Tancharoenpon, the acting chief of the PPEO, said 8039 of the permits were ‘general business permits’, 377 were for ‘board of investment members’ or people who were prepared to invest at least 30 million baht in Phuket.

Ms Supawadee said new legislation introduced in February last year limited the fields in which foreigners were allowed to work.

She said the new laws also allowed foreigners to apply for a renewable two-year work permit.

The labour laws will be reviewed again in February next year, she said.

Ms Supawadee said most of the applicants who were refused work permits had filed applications which did not include the correct information, or they had applied for jobs which the government had reserved only for Thai nationals.

“Sometimes it is not the fault of the foreigners, but the people representing them have given them the wrong advice,” she said.

Ms Supawadee said the criteria for eligibility were available at the Labour Office, and applicants were welcome to come in and talk to officials about how best to make the application process as easy as possible.

“Obviously there are sometimes language barriers for many foreigners who want to work here, so it can help to bring a trusted translator with you to the office,” she said.
Ms Supawadee said there had been a steady increase in the number of foreigners applying, and being given, permission to work in Thailand.

“This means more people are applying to work here legally,” she said.

“Many foreigners who would be eligible for a work permit, have not applied and are therefore working here illegally.

“Our application process is simple, and we have information and guidelines available in English.”

Ms Supawadee said there were plans to have a team of bi-lingual volunteers on hand to help foreigners apply for permits.

The Thai government has decreed that 39 key job sectors should be reserved only for Thai nationals.

They include manual work, shop attendants, conducting sightseeing tours, street vending, office or secretarial work, legal or lawsuit services, architectural work involving designing, drawing of plans, estimating construction costs, and advising.