What are the penalties for employers who hire foreign workers to work illegally?

       The use of foreign workers who have illegally entered the country, without a work permit, or allowing foreigners to work outside of their rights is an illegal act.

If the employer violates the regulations related to acceptance of work, there will be penalties, as follows: 

• An employer who employs foreigners who do not have work permits or allows foreigners to work when they do not have the right to do so will be subject to fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 baht per foreigner employed. Repeated offenses are punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or fines from 50,000 to 200,000 baht per foreigner employed, or both imprisonment and fine, and the employer is prohibited from employing foreigners to work for 3 years.
  
  
• In the case of failing to notify the registrar of employment of foreigners within 15 days from the date of employment, or failure to inform the registrar that the foreign workers are no longer employed there, the registrar shall impose a fine of not more than 20,000 baht per foreigner.
  
  
• If demanding money or property that is an expense other than employment that the foreign worker has to be responsible for which the employer has paid first, the penalty will be imprisonment for not more than 6 months and a fine of two times the money or property value charged.
  
  
• Confiscation of work permits or important identification documents of foreign workers is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 6 months or a fine of 10,000-100,000 baht per foreigner.
  
  
• As for foreigners working without a work permit or working outside of what they have the right to do, they will be fined from 5,000 to 50,000 baht and will be deported. 

Source :The Secretariat of the Prime Minister Government House
Tel : +66 2-288-4000