Schools and educational institutes will not be spared in paying hefty fines and their executives may even land in jail if it’s proven that they hire foreigners on tourist or transit visas as teachers, warned a government spokesperson Thursday.
Deputy Spokesperson Karom Phonphonklang said that the Labour Ministry has launched their “Arrest, Fine, Deport” campaign in order to stop illegal employment in the education sector.
In a The Nation report, the crackdown targets “foreigners working in professions reserved for Thai nationals under the Emergency Decree on Foreigners’ Working Management, as well as those who do not have a proper work permit,” the report states.
Karom adds that ministry investigations have discovered cases of school employing foreign nationals as teachers who entered the Kingdom on tourist or transit visas, despite visa legal requirements.
He also warns that violators would be fined between 10,000 to 100,000 baht per illegally acquired employee. Repeat offenders could face a fine between 50,000 to 200,000 baht and/or up to a year in prison, along with a three-year ban on hiring foreigners. He urged schools to comply with the law to avoid harsh penalties that could impact their business.