Thailand’s labour ministry hopes to export 50,000 workers

Now that the Covid-19 situation across the world has calmed down a bit, Thailand’s Labour Ministry expects to send about 50,000 workers abroad this year. The Department of Employment’s PR office said now that restrictions have largely eased, Thailand’s labour exports are set to resume in large numbers.

So far, labour export agreements have been signed with two countries, Saudi Arabia and Japan. This follows Thailand’s rekindling of relations with Saudi Arabia after decades of cold vibes between the countries due to the notorious so-called ‘Blue Diamond Affair’. Last month, Thailand’s labour minister said over 1,000 people have registered online with the Department of Employment to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia.

But officials have also become aware that many Thais have been lured into working in other countries by scammer gangs. This has notably happened with Thais who travelled to work in Cambodia. There were also cases when scammers tricked Thais into working as farmhands in Australia, and in so-called ‘spas’ in the United Arab Emirates.

Last month, police in Chachoengsao, a province east of Bangkok, arrested a woman suspected of tricking another woman into working as a prostitute in the UAE. She is one of six suspects in the case. The alleged victim told authorities she was invited to work as a masseuse at a spa in Dubai.

The DoE’s director-general said all input from the meeting would improve the welfare and legal protection aspects for Thai migrants. The department chief said it has opened forums to educate job seekers about overseas employment and conduct thorough background checks of job placement firms nationwide.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post