Because of the ongoing instability in Thailand, where international airports have been blockaded by protesters, the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) yesterday announced that employers would be able to extend the period of their Approval Letter for the Employment of Foreign Labor if their laborer’s arrival in Taiwan had been delayed because of flight cancelations.
The council said this would apply to all employers of foreign laborers who had not arrived in Taiwan to start work because of flights being canceled in the wake of the protests.
The employee or employer must obtain proof of purchase of a flight ticket and proof that the flight was canceled from the airline company. The application for an extension should be filed 30 days before the date of expiration of the original approval and the approved period can be extended for as much as three months.
Meanwhile, in related developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that two of the nation’s air carriers were to bring home Taiwanese who have been stranded in Thailand because of the occupation of Bangkok’s two airports.
“We have coordinated with China Airlines and EVA Airways to help bring our people back,” deputy ministry spokesman James Chang (章計平) said.
He said about 500 people were stranded in Bangkok and that they would be transferred to airports outside Bangkok from where the two airlines would schedule flights to return them to Taiwan.
Around 1,500 other Taiwanese have already been taken to other Thai airports and were waiting to return home, officials at the Tourism Bureau said.
China Airlines dispatched an additional flight to Chiang Mai International Airport in northern Thailand yesterday to bring 313 stranded Taiwanese home, the airline said in a statement.
In addition to EVA, Thai Airways International has also agreed to help evacuate the Taiwanese tourists stranded in Thailand, Chang said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS