More than 300 operators in Phuket who need to employ foreign workers had a meeting and agreed to submit a petition to the government for rule relaxation on the foreign worker’s registration fee.

Led by Phuket Operators’ Club chairman Prasart Buntantrapiwat, they joined hands with the Construction Operator Club and the Provincial Fisheries Association. This followed the cabinet resolution which allows employers to register foreign workers of Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian nationals during March 1st to 30th.

The rule states that employers of foreign workers must pay a fee of 10,000 baht per head while those who wish to hire illegal labourers who are not registered by March 30th have to pay a guarantee or bail fee of 50,000 baht per head. Operators state they merely cannot afford the cost and proposed that they pay the fee of 1,000 baht per head instead.

The meeting result will be presented to the governor and he stressed that if no clear or satisfied response is made, the operators who hire foreign workers will all cease their operations.