The Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok announced on 26 February that the fee for making a passport for Myanmar nationals in Thailand was raised to 1,250 Baht. Although the cost for a passport and OWIC card was 800 and 250 Baht before, the revised rates will cost 1,500 Baht (an increased fee of 1,250 Baht plus an OWIC card fee of 250 Baht) and will be able to apply on 1 March.
The Embassy of Myanmar announced that those whose information was collected by the mobile team at factories, workshops and construction companies will also have to pay the increased book fee of 1,500 Baht.
Almost one-third of the average annual income of Thailand’s minimum wage is re-used for expenses of the pink card, CI book, work permit and visa to apply for legal residence and work permit in Thailand, according to a worker in Thailand.
The Thailand-Myanmar memorandum of understanding (MoU) system is used to allow people from Myanmar to legally travel to Thailand to work. Under the MoU system, one can get access to 2 years of visa and work permit each, and work in factories of Thailand, if they apply by registering at any official agency in Myanmar.
After the inconvenience of issuing tokens to renew passports in Thailand, the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok announced on 7 January that they have successfully issued tokens to more than 6,000 people. — TWA/CT
