Published on June 21, 2005

Illegal immigrants should be allowed to open special bank accounts to enable them to transfer money to their own countries to prevent the funds from being stolen from Thai couriers, a labour activist said yesterday.

Pranome Somwong said the move would benefit the authorities by allowing them to record statistical information on the employment of illegal immigrants.

It would also help prevent the workers from being cheated by Thai employers and Thai officials.

Thai couriers hired to carry money to the workers’ relatives in neighbouring countries are regularly mugged or have the money confiscated by officials on either side of the border, she said.

Meanwhile, the Mae Sot branch of Krung Thai Bank has set up a special money transaction service that requires no bank accounts for registered immigrant workers, who make up most of the labour force in Tak province.

Thawatchai Somsi, the bank manager, said the registered workers could use their 13-digit personal number to identify themselves through the “KTB Speed Cash Transfer” service, while the recipients can use a secret 3-digit number to withdraw the money from the destination banks.

He said the service, which could transfer Bt30,000 for a service fee of Bt30, could also be used through other identification processes such as passports or official documents with picture identification.

Damrongphan Jaihao

The Nation

Post your comment to this story here