YANGON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Illegal Myanmar migrant workers will probably be granted official work permits as Thai authorities delayed the enforcement of new labor act for four months, official media reported Saturday.

The delay came after negotiations between Myanmar labor department and Thai authorities for paving way to help Myanmar workers return home safely without being arrested.

About 6,500 undocumented Myanmar migrant workers returned home through Myawady border gate beginning late Friday after Thai government imposed new Management of Foreign Workers Act with strict penalties on illegal foreign workers who fail to produce official work permit documents.

Under the new labor act, illegal workers who have no official document will be fined or imprisoned for six months and employers who hire them will also be fined.

After the law came into effect, Thai police have begun making arrest of illegal workers with insufficient documents.

Thousands of undocumented migrant workers fled from Thailand include migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia.

There are about 4 million legal and 1 million illegal Myanmar workers reportedly staying in Thailand.