October 9, 2025
BANGKOK – Dr Akom Praditsuwan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS), revealed that the influx of migrant workers into Thailand has been steadily increasing over the past few years.
According to data from the Ministry of Labour, the number of registered foreign workers in Thailand surged from 3.3 million in 2024 to approximately 4.08 million in 2025.
While this increase in foreign labour reflects the progress of Thailand’s economy, there are growing concerns that such a rapid rise could impact the country’s security in various areas, particularly public health, with the potential for the spread of infectious diseases from abroad.
To safeguard public health, in line with the policies of Minister of Public Health Pattana Promphat and Deputy Minister Worachot Sukonkhajorn, the DHSS has directed its officials from the Legal Division and Sanatorium and Art of Healing Division to closely monitor and enforce compliance with private healthcare facilities providing health checks for migrant workers.
If any private healthcare facility issues a medical certificate without conducting a health check or if the certificate does not accurately reflect the actual health condition, it will be considered as issuing a false medical certificate.
The department has established a special task force to ensure that private clinics do not issue medical certificates without proper health checks or falsify medical records. Any clinic found doing so will be deemed to have issued false medical certificates, which is a violation of the Hospitals Act 1998. Offenders could face a penalty of up to 2 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.
Furthermore, to ensure that health checks for migrant workers meet official standards, any private healthcare facility wishing to offer such services must first obtain permission from the DHSS or local public health offices. These services must adhere to the standards set out by the Ministry under the Standard for Health Examination of Migrant Workers 2024.
If a private clinic intends to provide health checks for migrant workers off-site, it must notify the DHSS or local public health offices at least 10 days in advance, using the prescribed form. In cases where a migrant worker is found to have a prohibited disease, in accordance with the Immigration Act or dangerous communicable diseases under the Communicable Diseases Act, the healthcare facility must report the findings to the relevant authorities as required by law.
Failure to comply with these regulations will result in penalties under the Hospitals Act 1998, with potential fines of up to 20,000 baht or imprisonment for up to 1 year, as well as possible administrative measures, including the temporary closure of the healthcare facility.