"Thailand has approximately 2.5 million migrant labourers. 70 per cent are illegal workers who have not been registered with the government as required," said Wasan Sathorn, director of the Office of Foreign Workers Administration.

The problem of illegal migrants from countries such as Burma, Laos and Cambodia will affect the country's national security if there is no policy to control and track their numbers and whereabouts, he said.

This year, Thai employers have requested the employment of 1.8 million migrant workers and the process of registration is in progress. However, it is believed that some employers still hire unregistered labourers, whose numbers may exceed registered labourers.

Dr Suwan Pruetiwan from Nakornping Hospital emphasised the urgent need to control the number of migrants.

"A sharp increase of migrant workers is likely to affect medical resources for Thai people. Thirty per cent of pregnant patients admitted to Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai's biggest government hospital, are migrants," Suwan said.

Healthcare and treatment of migrant workers are the responsibility of government hospitals.

"Many hospitals are already struggling to provide treatment to a large number of poor and middle-class Thais," said Suwan, adding some migrant workers arrived with dangerous diseases such as tuberculosis which can spread in overcrowded wards.

Police Colonel Sa-ngob San-udorn from the Chiang Mai Immigration Office said illegal smuggling of alien workers into Thailand was rife and there were no effective measures to stem the tide.

Atsadaporn Kamthai

Citylife

CHIANG MAI