The chief of the Phuket Provincial Office of Labor Protection and Welfare, Kittipong Laonipon, undertook to make the raids with police following the urging of Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat.
Chief Kittipong acknowledged that the department had checked restaurants and stores in daylight for child workers, but had never coordinated night-time raids. Children under 18 are not permitted to work after dark.
''I can tell you there are many underage workers in garden restaurants around Phuket at night,'' the vice governor said. ''It really is time you mounted some raids to end what's happening on the island once night falls.''
When schools were closed, the number of underage part-time workers increases, and many children under 15, especially Burmese, were said to follow their parents at an early age into the construction business on Phuket, where labor is always in demand.
More research is to be carried out but the raids will come as soon as the department has met with police and perhaps the governor's own small force, Khun Kittipong said.
He added that it was sometimes impossible to make progress without the help of police.
With Phuket bars, he said, a young ''hostess'' might tell a department inspector that she was a customer, but only a police officer could take action over the presence of underage people in bars as customers.
A total of 118,293 people - 61,164 males and 57,036 females - were currently registered for work on Phuket with the Labor office. Ninety-three people between the age of 15 and 18 are also registered.
The chief executive of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Office, Paiboon Upatising, suggested that when people registered for work, they should also be given the opportunity to register as Phuket citizens.
Because only about half the Thais who live and work on Phuket are registered as Phuket citizens, Phuket's budget allocation from the national government is based on a false figure of about 320,000 registered citizens.
The addition of an extra 10 percent or 20 percent would make a huge difference to the income that provides for Phuket's infrastructure.
Latest Small crabs no larger than black ants have washed ashore in vast numbers at a Phuket beach, leaving biologists to puzzle what might have caused the phenomenon.
Phuket's Invasion of the Mini-Crabs Puzzles Biologists
Phuket Cape Gains a 2.8m Baht Mosque
Latest A 2.8 million baht mosque is the latest addition to property near Cape Promthep, Phuket's popular sunset viewing cape.
Phuket Cape Gains a 2.8m Baht Mosque
Phuket's Hulks Need a Road Kill Next
Latest FC Phuket will strive for a ''kill'' on the road this weekend up against potential prey Bangkok FC. The Hulks are happy enough at home but not so hot away from Phuket.
Phuket's Hulks Need a Road Kill Next
Phuket Summit: Resort Hosts Navy Chiefs from 24 Countries
Breaking News Phuket is to host a powerful seminar next week that includes naval representatives from 24 nations. Around the same time, a US aircraft carrier is also due to visit.
Phuket Summit: Resort Hosts Navy Chiefs from 24 Countries
Phuket Wedding Bell's for Kate and Will
Latest The whole world will be watching the wedding of the son of the heir to the British throne to his beloved Kate next week, and especially one Phuket whisky collector.
Phuket Wedding Bell's for Kate and Will
"The addition of an extra 10 percent or 20 percent would make a huge difference to the income that provides for Phuket's infrastructure."
Another way would be to stop government officers pocketing government money.
Posted by Mike Boyd on April 23, 2011 14:21