Chris, an MP from the Economic Party, warned Thai security agencies and the government about political agitation by Myanmar workers in Thailand. He emphasized four proposals to solve the problem and urged not to wait for incidents like the violent mobs burning cities in Europe before taking action instead.
At 10:30 a.m. on 5 Nov 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Chris Potranan List MP of the Economic Party, gave a statement at the parliament regarding proposals to address the issue of Myanmar workers both legal and illegal in Thailand, saying today there are about 4 million legal Myanmar workers and about 6 million illegal ones in Thailand, totaling around 10 million. Yet Thailand has no plan to manage these workers, who use roads, hospitals, and have their children attend school for free in Thailand.
He therefore made demands to all Thai security agencies, saying the movement of Myanmar workers will be a major issue in the future. Even though currently only 10-20 Myanmar workers demonstrate politically, if they unite, Thailand could fall into a cycle of protests like those in 2006-2019—not yellow or red protests, but Myanmar protests similar to those occurring in several European countries such as France, Germany, and Italy, where foreign workers have gathered in huge numbers. If Thailand does not act promptly,
Mr. Chris added that Thailand keeps registering more foreign workers annually—between 500,000 to 1 million—instead of limiting numbers, despite many illegal entrants. He sees the solutions as follows:
1. It remains necessary to issue Certificates of Identity (CI) as identity documents for Myanmar workers in Thailand. If CI, which functions like a passport, is abolished, problems will follow because even with ID cards, district or provincial officers still face issues of fraudulent card use.
2. He proposed the government enact laws to collect personal income tax from foreign workers in Thailand from the first baht earned, because Thailand currently exempts everyone residing here from tax on the first 180,000 baht. Although Myanmar workers may earn less, when they use Thai public services such as healthcare and education, they should pay taxes. This is within the authority of the House of Representatives to amend the Revenue Code. For example, taxing 5% annually could generate 30 billion baht in revenue. Meanwhile, Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing has enacted laws taxing Myanmar workers earning income in Thailand 2% on money sent home. Therefore, he urged all MPs, the government, and the Finance Ministry to fix this issue.
3. The 6 million illegal foreign workers, if caught, must be deported back to their home countries. Parliament has amended the Labor Court Act to grant courts authority to try criminal cases involving foreign workers in Thailand, including ordering their deportation.
4. The government must strictly and clearly limit the number of migrant workers. Without limits on Myanmar workers in Thailand, future Myanmar protests could swell to tens or hundreds of thousands, like in Europe. When arson and destruction occur, who will take responsibility for the future of Thai people and Thailand? We must not wait for such events to happen before taking action.