Prachuap Thongyu, chief of the Employment Department’s Inspection and Job Seekers Protection Division, led a team of inspectors to arrest the suspects – a 30-year-old man and two women in their 20s – at the mouth of Soi Rewadee 10 in Tambon Talad Kwan. The three had reportedly rented a house in the alley and sold food on the street for three months using a cart provided by an unnamed Thai person. The suspects also showed the officials the many “approval stickers” they had obtained from a police officer in exchange for Bt2,000 a month.

Prajuap said these suspects could enter the country as tourists but later find a way to work illegally – which is an offence punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of between Bt2,000 and Bt100,000.

Employment Department chief Arak Prommanee pointed out that action taken on migrants working illegally did not tackle the problem at the root. If state officials did their job properly, then these problems would not arise, he said, adding that Thais helping these migrants should also be punished.