The Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) submitted a letter to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population three months ago for approval to increase service charges for sending Myanmar workers to Thailand through employment agencies, but the ministry has not made any reply yet.

In the letter, the federation proposed to increase from 150,000 to K250,000 in a service charge for sending Myanmar workers to Thailand.

"It has been about three months since we submitted the letter to the ministry. But we have not received any reply. With high prices including dollar appreciation, we have to bear more expenses. So we has informed about increasing service charges," said Peter Nyunt Maung, president of MOEAF.

The ministry earlier has asked local employment agencies to submit service charges for sending Myanmar workers abroad. Then, the federation sent the ministry rates of service charge including the proposed increased amount for Thailand.

"We have not submitted the service charge for Thailand alone. We submitted service charge rates for all countries. Increased amount is only for Thailand.

Myanmar and Thailand signed a bilateral agreement in 2003 to officially send workers under MoU system. An agency system was launched in 2009, and it has been used so far after service charge for employment agencies has been set.   

About 800,000 Myanmar workers have been sent to Thailand under MoU system. K150,000 was set for service charge by Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population. However, brokers reportedly charge over K800,000 to send a worker to Thailand.