PHUKET, THAILAND – Major delays in renewing and issuing work permits on Phuket have slowed the island’s economy, affecting more than 130,000 foreign workers, according to authorities.
Complaints from businesses put authorities under pressure
Employers on the island had increasingly reported backlogs because pending approvals were hindering staffing plans and new hires. The issue therefore dominated a monthly situation meeting of labour officials at the Phuket Provincial Labour Office on 4 March.
Vice governor ordered immediate action
Phuket Vice Governor Teeraphong Chuaychoo called for urgent steps during the meeting.
“Immediate action is required,”
said Teeraphong, vice governor, referring to the economic urgency.
Representatives of several key agencies attended, including the Phuket Provincial Employment Office, the Phuket Skills Development Institute 21, and offices responsible for occupational safety and social security.
System change blamed for work permit backlog
The head of the Phuket Provincial Employment Office, Pichit Singthongkam, attributed the delays to a change in the work permit processing system. The Department of Employment had launched a nationwide outsourcing system on 13 October 2025 to handle applications via the digital e-WorkPermit platform and more than 40 service units.
Why Phuket was hit particularly hard
On Phuket, the new model reached its limits because the large number of foreign employees overwhelmed the capacity of the contracted service provider, according to officials. The tourism sector in particular felt the impact, as extended processing times for renewals delayed work approvals and planned new hires.
The scale: foreign labour figures on the island
According to the Phuket Provincial Employment Office, a total of 138,244 foreign workers were registered on Phuket in October 2025. Of these, 121,198 came from four neighbouring countries, along with 16,260 “general” foreign employees, 503 under investment promotion schemes and 283 from ethnic minorities.
Bottleneck in outsourcing – crisis meeting planned
Authorities identified the “production phase” in the outsourcing process as the main problem, as it was currently unable to process enough applications at the required pace. Teeraphong announced a meeting with employers and relevant agencies to agree on practical measures to speed up processing.
Additional officers as a temporary fix
As a short-term measure, additional officers were assigned to the Foreign Work Permit Service Centre in Phuket to support applicants and track the status of cases. The teams were also tasked with reporting progress to the central authorities and monitoring the outsourcing provider’s performance to ensure agreed standards were met.
Opinion
The work permit backlog highlighted how risky digital and outsourcing reforms could be when staffing needs and the island’s realities were underestimated during capacity planning. The debate now centred on whether Phuket should regain more processing authority locally or whether a more capable service provider was the better solution.