Dubai: Thai expatriates who arrived in the UAE on visit visas or tourist visas before finding work here must register themselves with the labour office at the embassy to ensure that their welfare is protected, senior officials said during a forum on Friday.
Thai Consul-General Unnop Buranasate and officials from the consulate and embassy held an outreach programme for the Thai community on Friday to highlight Thai and UAE labour laws and the dos and don’ts to ensure a hassle-free stay in the UAE.
“This outreach outreach programme is important to let the Thai people know the basic laws of the UAE that they have to follow and also the labour laws of Thailand. Sometimes, some Thai nationals come to us to complain about their working conditions but they do not know the law or the contract they had signed,” Buranasate, who recently assumed his post, told Gulf News.
The panel at the forum reiterated that Thais who prefer to work abroad must go through proper government channels such as going through accredited recruitment agencies in Thailand or personally registering at the Department of Employment back home.
“If you came here on a tourist visa, it’s important that you submit your contract and all the required documents to us in Abu Dhabi so we can check the contents of the contract line by line to ensure that they do not violate UAE labour laws as well as Thai labour laws,” Poonsak Pramong, Minister Counsellor (Labour), told Gulf News.
The contract and the worker’s details will then be registered in the department’s database for the workers’ protection.
“This strict checking of labour contracts ensures the protection of workers to make sure that the items in the contract are fair to both parties — the employee and employer. For example, according to our labour law in Thailand, the minimum wage for unskilled workers should be a minimum of Dh1,800, nothing less,” Sunaree Kongsatid, Counsellor (Labour), told Gulf News.
Should the employer fall behind the requirements, the Thai government will not approve the contract and the worker will not be allowed to work unless the terms are met.
Thai workers also have the option to pay a one-time contribution to the Overseas Workers Welfare Fund of 400 Thai baht (Dh42) to become members with benefits such as insurance benefits. An amount of 40,000 Thai baht (Dh4,300) will be given to the worker’s family in case of the worker’s death while working abroad.
Officials also reminded Thai workers to carefully read and understand their contracts before signing them or to seek help from the consulate or embassy should they encounter a problem. Thai workers were also urged to always carry their labour card or Emirates ID to be presented upon request.
Interested workers may visit the website of the labour department at the Thai embassy in Abu Dhabi — http://abu-dhabi.mol.go.th/ — or call +97125576551 for more information.
Required documents for worker registration
Employee’s ID card, passport copy
Copy of trade licence of company
UAE sponsor’s visa and passport copy and Emirates ID
