Hiring Myanmar and Lao Workers in Thailand — The MOU Process
Hiring Myanmar and Lao Workers — How the MOU Process Works
A step-by-step account of how a worker legally reaches your production line, what the employer is responsible for, and what happens every year afterwards.
Before you start
Thailand allows employers to bring in workers from neighbouring countries through a government-to-government framework, commonly called the MOU system. The worker is documented in their home country, enters Thailand on the correct visa, and receives a work permit tied to a named employer. It is the only route that leaves both the employer and the worker fully compliant from day one.
The process, step by step
We look at the work, the site, the accommodation and the wage you intend to pay, and tell you honestly what is realistic to fill and how quickly. If a role will not fill at the rate offered, we say so at this stage rather than after you have committed.
We prepare and file your demand with the Department of Employment, together with the company documents, the job description, the wage and the accommodation details.
The approved demand goes to the labour authority in Myanmar or Laos through our partner agency. Candidates are identified, contracts are prepared, and the worker signs the employment contract before travelling.
Passport or travel document, medical examination, and the visa issued for entry to Thailand. This is usually the longest stage and it sits with the source country authority.
Our own Thai staff meet the workers at the crossing in person, with our Lao or Myanmar interpreters, and travel with them to your site. We do not hand workers over to sub-agents at the border.
Work permit issued, orientation completed, and the worker starts. We notify the authorities of the hire within the statutory period, which is the duty employers are audited on most often.
Social security registration, monthly payroll, 90-day address reporting, permit and visa renewals on cycle, and departure notifications. We track every expiry date for you.
What sits with whom
| Responsibility | Who carries it |
|---|---|
| Government fees | The employer. These are official rates set by regulation and we show you the receipts. |
| Repatriation at end of contract | The employer, under the framework. |
| Accommodation and welfare on site | The employer, with our on-site team managing the day-to-day. |
| Filing, coordination, border handling | JOBS. |
| Permit and visa renewals, reporting | JOBS, as part of the monthly care service. |
| Our service fee | Quoted case by case, based on volume and scope. We do not publish a price list because the work differs by site. |
What usually goes wrong
- Waiting until the permit is nearly expired. Renewal windows are fixed. Missing one turns an administrative task into a penalty and, in the worst case, a worker who cannot legally work.
- Letting workers do tasks outside the permitted scope. Thailand reserves certain occupations for Thai nationals. Enforcement is active and the penalty falls on the employer as well as the worker.
- Not explaining deductions to the workforce. Statutory deductions that nobody explained are the most common cause of unrest on site. We brief workers in their own language.
- Choosing on price alone. If a quote is far below the market, the difference is usually being taken from the worker. That is the sort of thing a social compliance audit finds.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the whole process take?
In normal conditions, about two to three months from your demand letter to the worker’s first day. The variable is the source country authority, not the Thai side alone.
Can we do it ourselves without an agency?
An employer may file directly, but the process requires documents issued in the source country and a licensed partner agency there. Most employers use a Thai licensed company because the steps have to be completed in sequence and a mistake early on restarts the clock.
How long can a worker stay?
Employment runs in two-year terms, renewable once, for four years in total. After that the worker normally leaves and re-enters under a new cycle, subject to the Cabinet Resolutions in force at the time.
What are our duties after the worker starts?
Notifying the authorities of the hire, social security registration, 90-day address reporting, renewing the permit and visa on cycle, and notifying the authorities again when employment ends.
Which nationalities do you recruit?
Myanmar and Lao nationals. Laos is our strongest channel, with our own Thai staff and Lao interpreters based in country.
Talk to us about your requirement
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