Two Myanmar workers arrested over grilling Moo Ping in Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI – Two Myanmar workers have been arrested in Chiang Mai after immigration officers found them grilling Moo Ping, a popular Thai street food consisting of marinated pork grilled on skewers, despite their work permits listing their occupation as labourers.

Immigration officers and Chiang Mai employment officials inspected shops along Thung Hotel Road in Wat Ket subdistrict, Muang district, on 29 October.

The two workers were legally staying in Thailand and held work permits sponsored by Thai employers, with their authorised occupation listed as “labourer”. However, officers found them grilling Moo Ping inside a shop.

The workers admitted that they had been grilling the pork skewers there for about four to five months, earning 300 baht per day. They had not completed the process to change their employer or update their employment details, according to immigration authorities.

They were charged with failing to notify the registrar of their employer, workplace and job duties within 15 days of starting work, as required under the relevant regulations.

The two were handed over to investigators at Mae Ping Police Station for legal proceedings.