Thai labour ministry initiates farm worker scheme with South Korea

The Department of Employment (DoE) under Thailand’s Labour Ministry initiated a programme to deploy Thai workers to South Korea as seasonal farm labour. This scheme is the outcome of a meeting last month between Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, the Labour Minister of Thailand, and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jung-Sik.

During Pipat’s official visit to South Korea, he met with Kim Dong-yeon, the governor of Gyeonggi province, and many agricultural entrepreneurs seeking labour. The mutual discussions revolved around the employment of Thai workers in South Korea.

The DoE has established a memorandum of understanding (MoU) template for partnerships with local South Korean authorities to facilitate the transfer of Thai labour. Pipat has emphasised that only the DoE is authorised to send workers to South Korea under this programme, cautioning potential applicants to avoid registering through other agencies.

Somchai Morakotsriwan, the Director-General of the DoE, disclosed that an MoU had been successfully concluded with South Jeolla province’s Goheung County. The agreement, signed yesterday, April 30, paves the way for Thailand to supply seasonal agricultural workers to the region.

According to Somchai, South Korea is seeking to import 3,000 workers across all sectors. Those interested in working in Goheung County through the E-8 visa, they must be Thai citizens hailing from Yasothon or Satun, aged between 25 and 50 years old.

In addition, they should either be registered farmers or possess a minimum of one year of relevant experience, reported Bangkok Post.

He further stated the minimum wage to be approximately 265 baht (US$7) per hour, which translates to potential earnings of around 50,000 baht (US$1,340) per month.

In related news, Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn secured an agreement during his recent visit to Seoul as 3,000 Thai workers are set to revolutionise South Korea’s shipbuilding sector.

The minister, in a high-stakes meeting at Lotte Hotel Seoul, clinched a deal with representatives from five top South Korean shipbuilders: HD Hyundai Heavy Industry, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Hyundai Samho, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean.