By Thailand’s labour minister has formally opposed Myanmar’s requirement that migrant workers remit 25% of their income to Myanmar as a condition for obtaining Certificate of Identity documents, according to Khaosod English. The requirement, which also demands payslips covering the previous three to six months, was raised in two rounds of discussions with Myanmar’s ambassador to Thailand.
Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat said on 6 November 2026 that “the measures were inconsistent with international principles and individual rights concerning overseas employment.” Thailand’s Ministry of Labour is now preparing a formal letter through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Myanmar’s labour authorities and embassy, while insisting that CI centres operating on Thai territory will not be abolished.
What the remittance rule means for Thai employers
For HR and payroll teams in Thailand, the Myanmar requirement creates immediate compliance friction. Employers with Myanmar nationals on staff may find workers unable to renew CI documents if they cannot produce payslips spanning three to six months, particularly where payroll records are incomplete or where workers changed employers during that window.
The 25% remittance obligation also affects take-home pay calculations and could influence retention. While Thailand has not stated it will block the remittance itself, the labour ministry’s objection signals that Thai authorities view the condition as an improper barrier to legal status. Employers should not assume the rule is suspended; until Myanmar revises its procedures, workers may still face the requirement when applying for CI documents.
Why Thailand is keeping CI centres
Thailand rejected proposals to replace the CI system with Thai pink identification cards. Julapun said identity verification requires confirmation from workers’ countries of origin, including national identification records, household registration and biometric information. Allowing Thailand to verify identities unilaterally, he warned, could create risks of identity fraud and undermine national security.
This matters for employers because CI documents remain the backbone of legal employment for Myanmar workers. The government’s position means employers should continue routing Myanmar hires through CI centres rather than expecting a shift to Thai-issued documentation. The centres operate entirely on Thai territory, which keeps the process accessible but still dependent on Myanmar’s cooperation.
Work permit extensions and registration deadlines
The Foreign Workers Management Policy Committee approved several measures affecting payroll and workforce planning. Work permits scheduled to expire between February and March 2027 will be extended, allowing affected migrant workers to continue working until 13 February 2029. More than 800,000 workers from Myanmar, Laos and Sri Lanka who currently lack legal status may remain and work in Thailand for another year.
For HR teams, these extensions reduce immediate termination risk but do not resolve underlying documentation gaps. The labour ministry said its primary objective is bringing migrant workers of all nationalities into the formal registration system, allowing authorities to verify identities, residential addresses and compliance. Employers should use the extension period to help workers complete CI applications and gather the payslips Myanmar now requests.
Refugee employment changes
Eligible Myanmar refugees in temporary shelters will be permitted to work legally within districts where those shelters are located without requiring work permits. The employment period for eligible refugees has been extended from one year to two years. The stated aim is to reduce the government’s burden in supporting displaced people while providing labour market opportunities.
For employers near temporary shelter districts, this creates a hiring pathway that bypasses standard work permit requirements. However, the geographic restriction is significant: refugees may only work within the districts where their shelters are located. Payroll teams should verify the shelter district before onboarding any refugee worker under this provision.
What happens next
Thailand will continue urging Myanmar to revise the CI procedures to comply with international standards. The ministry is also seeking to simplify procedures under labour cooperation agreements with Myanmar and Laos; workers would still need to return to their countries of origin but would only need to briefly cross the border before immediately re-entering Thailand.
A separate proposal to exempt certain foreign visitors from work permit requirements for conferences, lectures, seminars, cultural performances and sporting competitions will be considered at a subsequent meeting. The committee also approved expanding labour recruitment from Sri Lanka under an existing memorandum of understanding, with a related plan to recruit 10,000 Sri Lankan workers.
Employers with Myanmar staff should monitor whether Myanmar adjusts the remittance and payslip requirements after receiving Thailand’s formal letter. Until then, the safest approach is to help workers maintain complete payroll records and prepare for the possibility that CI renewals will require the disputed documentation.
Sources: Khaosod English
Photo: Jed migrant workers by Yousefmadari at ml.wikipedia, Public domain
