Thai banks have been urged to allow foreign workers to open bank accounts to transfer money home so they don’t have to risk carrying the money themselves. 

Pranom Somwong, who represents a network of non-governmental organisations devoted to helping alien labour, said it was dangerous for workers to carry cash back to their hometowns in Burma, Cambodia or Laos. 

 

Meanwhile, Krung Thai Bank has introduced a cash transfer service for registered alien workers which does not require them to have bank accounts. 

 

Ms Pranom said many alien workers have been robbed or extorted by officials in Thailand and in their home countries on their way back. 

 

Some employers had cited the problem as a reason to refuse to pay alien labour on time, promising to keep the money for them until they needed to use it, Ms Pranom said. 

 

Many alien workers now send money home by messenger, asking recipients to send them letters confirming the money arrived. 

 

But, sometimes the money is lost or the messengers are robbed, she said. 

 

Messengers are known to charge about 5% of the total amount of money. 

 

“Alien workers don’t know where to save their money. So some have kept money in milk powder tins for years, but then they are robbed on their way back home. 

 

“Some money is sent home via messengers, but this is not safe,” Ms Pranom said. A messenger was only recently killed in a robbery in Ranong. 

 

Thawatchai Somsilp, manager of Krung Thai Bank’s Mae Sot branch, said the bank now allowed registered alien workers to use the KTB Speed Cash Transfer service. 

 

Alien workers pay 30 baht per transaction, with each transaction not exceeding 30,000 baht, he said. The bank required their 13-digit identity card numbers. 

 

In return, the customer receives bank transfer slips with reference numbers and secret codes to receive money from any bank branch. 

 

Initially, the bank said, the service will only be available at branches in areas highly populated with alien labour, such as in Bangkok’s Bang Khunthian and Bang Bon, Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi’s Tha Maka, Ranong, Phangnga and Phuket.