MP Angsana joined forces with "Tae Vocational" and the group Thai No Tolerance to storm the Ministry of Labour and submit a letter urging a halt to ratifying ILO Conventions 87 and 98, fearing impacts on national security and demanding a crackdown on illegal workers and extortion networks.
On 3 Nov 2026 GMT+7 at the Ministry of Labour, MP Angsana Niamwanichkul, Deputy Secretary-General and party-list MP of the Economic Party, along with "Tae Vocational" and representatives from Thai No Tolerance, jointly submitted a letter and met with Ministry representatives. They urged the government to review Thailand's readiness to ratify ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and called for urgent solutions to illegal migrant labor, official corruption, and impacts on Thai workers' rights.
MP Angsana disclosed that this discussion reflected cooperation between the legislature and civil society aiming to seriously address illegal labor issues, especially networks claiming to pay officials for leniency, allowing offenders to resume operations despite prior investigations or actions taken.
“We have observed that after inspections or arrests, some areas reopen operations, raising suspicions of bribery to officials, preventing effective problem resolution. If corruption networks at the root are not addressed, issues will recur,” MP Angsana said.
MP Angsana emphasized that the Economic Party does not oppose labor union rights in principle, but ratifying ILO Conventions 87 and 98 requires comprehensive legal and impact studies, considering Thailand's economic, social, and security contexts.
Currently, Thailand still faces problems with improperly registered migrant workers, whose employment may affect Thai workers' opportunities, alongside brokers and capital groups potentially involved in illegal migrant entry. Rushing ratification without preparedness may complicate existing problems.
“Our Thai workers still face issues, insufficient protection, job competition, corruption, and shadow capital linked to illegal labor. These issues remain unresolved, and hasty ratification without thorough impact study could worsen problems,” MP Angsana stated.
MP Angsana also expressed concern about proposals to reduce or eliminate migrant workers' identity and nationality verification steps, noting that personal data collection is vital for background checks and tracking offenders, particularly in transnational crime and online fraud.
He observed that Thailand still struggles with document forgery, identity fraud, and official corruption regarding identification documents, which the government must urgently address before considering relaxation of foreign identity verification measures.
At the same time, MP Angsana raised the issue of healthcare budget burdens from treating certain migrant worker groups, especially when medical facilities face unpaid treatment costs. He proposed the government consider taxing migrant workers' income from the first baht to ensure fiscal fairness and reinvest revenues into the public healthcare system.
Representatives of Thai No Tolerance and Tae Vocational stated this coalition aims to coordinate civil society efforts to monitor corruption, bribery, and favoritism benefiting illegal workers, while voicing concerns about security impacts and labor union establishment under the ILO conventions.
In response, Ministry of Labour representatives explained that they have not yet seen the draft proposals referenced by the petitioners. They pledged to invite civil society for further consultations to hear concerns and exchange information before proceeding.
MP Angsana confirmed the Economic Party will continue to monitor this issue closely and collaborate with government agencies and civil networks to enforce laws seriously, prevent corruption, and build a fair labor management system.
“If our laws and monitoring systems are not yet ready, we must fix these problems first rather than rushing into international commitments without considering impacts on Thais. We will keep following this to ensure the greatest benefit for Thailand,” he concluded. MP Angsana concluded with this statement.