labour
- Thailand News
Labour Ministry steps up protection for migrant workers in Thailand
The Labour Ministry is taking decisive steps to safeguard the welfare of migrant workers while ensuring they do not occupy jobs designated for Thai nationals. A workshop was conducted to train a specialised team tasked with overseeing the employment conditions of migrant workers and ensuring adherence to labour laws. Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn presided over the workshop, which took place…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s child labour crisis: Migrant children left unprotected
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are sounding the alarm: Thailand will miss its goal of ending child labour by 2025 unless it extends its efforts to include migrant children. Cross-Cultural Foundation President Surapong Kongchantuk stated that an estimated 100,000 child migrants have arrived in Thailand since late last year alone. “But our country has no measures to take care of them.” The…
- Thailand News
Thailand addresses labour shortage and illegal workers
Thailand’s National Committee on Migrant Workers Management approved three strategic guidelines to address the country’s labour shortage and tackle the issue of illegal workers. A proposal for these new guidelines is expected to be forwarded to the cabinet for approval soon. Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced after a committee meeting this Wednesday, commenting that the ongoing political conflict in Myanmar…
- Thailand News
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,…
- Thailand News
Thai workers overseas contribute 60 billion baht in Q1
Over 21,000 Thai workers were dispatched overseas in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, generating nearly 60 billion baht (US$1.69 billion) in remittances, as disclosed by a leading labour representative. The period of October to December saw 21,281 Thais heading overseas for work, half of whom, numbering 10,024, were recruited by the private sector, according to Pairoj Chotikasathien,…
- Thailand News
Grim reality of Thai agricultural worker’s life in South Korea revealed
Working as an agricultural labourer in South Korea may not be as pleasant as one might think, according to a Thai worker’s review posted online today. The worker, Abhisit began his job in South Korea on June 29, 2023, after passing the Department of Labour’s E-9 agricultural visa exam. Abhisit worked in a mixed vegetable farm, primarily cultivating high-value crops…
- Economy News
Thai wage committee upholds 2.37% minimum wage increase
Yesterday, a senior government official announced that the tripartite wage committee has decided to uphold their previously agreed-upon plan to increase the average daily minimum wage by 2.37%. The committee, consisting of representatives from the government, employers, and employees, has agreed to uplift the pay threshold range to 330 to 370 baht, starting in January. This was confirmed by Pairoj…
- Business News
JobThai reports 10.8% surge in labour demand
JobThai, a leading online recruitment firm, reported a 10.8% year-on-year increase in labour demand for the first three quarters of this year. The travel sector experienced the most significant rise in job recruitment, showing the strongest rebound post-pandemic. The company declared 1.74 million positions from January to September, marking a 10.8% increment compared to the same period last year, according…
- Thailand News
Delivery dilemma: Thai logistics firm in hot water as labour exploitation claims posted
A prominent private logistics company has been forced to navigate emerging challenges, as allegations of labour exploitation surge. A post from the Riders Union page highlighted the plight of the company’s employees, who face drastic cuts in their commission rates and are expected to deliver up to 200 to 500 parcels a day without overtime pay. The post alleged… “Employees…
- Thailand News
Thai Labour Ministry addresses worker transfer issue in Israel amidst unrest
The issue of Thai workers being sold to other employers in Israel was addressed by Pairoj Chotiksathien, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour today. He clarified that the transfer of workers to new employers does not violate Israeli labour law, following an investigation by the Labour Attaché in Tel Aviv. Pairoj disclosed today that he ordered the Labour…
- Business News
Thai Labour Minister pledges tailored minimum wage hike
Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has committed to increasing the minimum wage to a suitable level in the upcoming year. However, a standard daily rate of 400 baht will not be uniformly applied across all sectors. Some industries, like tourism, currently exceed this proposed baseline. The ministry, in conjunction with employers and employee representatives such as the Federation of Thai Industries and…
- Thailand News
Funeral fumble: Factory worker’s sacking to attend grandmother’s funeral sparks public outcry
A factory worker in Pak Thong Chai, Nakhon Ratchasima, was abruptly dismissed after requesting leave to attend his grandmother’s funeral, sparking widespread social criticism. The incident was revealed through a conversation shared on the Line application, where the worker asked his supervisor for two days off. The supervisor’s response of “feel free” was understood as a granting of permission to…
- Thailand News
Deliveroo dilemma: Thai delivery riders seek Labour Ministry aid after road woes
Thai delivery riders seek the Ministry of Labour‘s aid for legal and financial assistance post-road accidents. Spokesperson Supaporn Phanprasit underlined the daily hazards of handling apps, and e-commerce. Rushing for deadlines leads to accidents, injuries, and worse. The group laments the lack of financial assistance or compensation from either the parties involved in the accident or the platform operators. The…
- World News
H&M probes surge in Myanmar labour violations amid global fashion exodus
A shocking increase in labour violations at Myanmar garment factories supplying global fashion giant H&M has instigated an immediate follow-up from the retailer. This comes shortly after Inditex, owner of Zara, declared its decision to cease purchases from Myanmar, located in Southeast Asia. This suspension results from a report compiled by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a…
- Economy News
Migrant amnesty programme extended for half a million foreign labourers in Thailand
In a bid to alleviate Thailand’s labour shortage and lay the groundwork for post-pandemic economic recovery, the country’s Cabinet has decided to lengthen its foreign migrants’ amnesty programme until the close of the month. This initiative allows close to half a million workers from neighbouring nations, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, to effectively organise the permits necessary for legal…
- World News
Malaysian man’s short paternity leave ends in wife’s tragic death, leading to labour rights scrutiny
A Malaysian man faced heartbreak when his employer granted only two days of paternity leave for the birth of his child, resulting in his return home to discover his wife dead, and his newborn desperately crying. Public outcry surrounds the employer’s decision, resulting in calls for labour rights scrutiny. This incident happened in Malaysia. According to reports, the man works…
- Business News
Marriott upbeat about Thailand’s labour crunch in tourism sector
Marriott International remains optimistic about Thailand’s labour situation in the tourism sector, as employment at its properties across the country has nearly returned to its 2019 levels. The company hopes that the incoming government will prioritise the development of connectivity to secondary cities in order to enhance the country’s competitive edge. Jakob Helgen, Area Vice-President for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and…
- Thailand News
Thailand aims to employ army of 150,000 migrant workers to solve labour shortage
Thailand is looking to bring in more labourers from neighbouring countries with the help of recruitment agencies, as the government seeks to employ an army of around 150,000 foreign workers to make up for the country’s low percentage of people willing to do manual labour jobs. But the general public is worried about the clutter and spread of Covid-19 from…
- World News
Singapore wants to attract highly skilled expats
Singapore has devised a new system to identify unusually high talent, or ‘super skills’ in expats. The system is points-based, and scores factors including education, skills, and how expats’ nationalities contribute to diversity in their company. It is set to start in September. Singapore’s Manpower Minister said business chambers and companies have welcomed the scheduled points system. He told Bloomberg Television the…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s businesses appeal to government to lower labour import cost
Thai businesses say they need more workers, and have appealed to the Labour Ministry to reduce costs of importing migrant workers from surrounding countries like Myanmar and Cambodia. Labour ministers said business operators are concerned that if not enough workers are brought in on time, their businesses won’t be able to meet orders and will have to pay fines. PM…
- World News
Laos workers to return Thailand as borders reopen for migrants from neighbouring countries
For the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, Thailand will reopen its borders to migrant workers, especially from Laos, who are now granted permission to return to Thailand with the approval of their employers next week after a hiatus due to Covid-19. Reports say many people continue to cross the border illegally in search…
- Thailand News
Pandemic creates labour shortages in Thailand
The Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to an ageing population and declining birth rates, has created a labour shortage in Thailand. Over the past two years, unemployed Thais have started to leave their jobs to work as freelancers or run their own businesses. The National Economic and Social Development Council states that the number of Thais in the workforce will go…
- Thailand News
Migrant workers ask Thai government for assistance during the pandemic
With Covid-19 affecting many migrant communities in Thailand, Cambodian workers are now asking the Thai government for help. A petition calling for assistance during the pandemic to help with providing food, financial support and medical services was submitted this week to the Thai Ministry of Labour and Parliament. Thousands of Cambodian migrant workers signed the petition, which was submitted by…
- Covid-19 News
Human trafficking ‘gang’ arrested over Samut Sakhon outbreak | VIDEO
But are they scapegoats? Nearly 2 months after the Samut Sakhon outbreak put Thailand’s previously excellent Covid 19 record to the test, a series of people are now being rounded up and arrested as the key people behind the outbreak. A 45 year old Thai woman, known as Jay Phet, has been arrested for acquiring illegal Burmese migrants, getting them…
- Covid-19 News
US jobs market stumbles back into decline
The labour market for the world’s largest economy is heading back into reverse mode after slowly chugging back into gear over the past 8 months, following the March stock crash and initial impacts of the US state lockdown measures.. The December report was the first drop since April figures, providing the strongest evidence of the impact of the huge number…
- Covid-19 News
Something fishy about the Samut Sakhon Covid outbreak – who’s responsible?
Here are 2 resources for the above story… https://thethaiger.com/news/national/… http://www.rapid-asia.com/blog/forced… Until the weekend many people would have never heard of Samut Sakhon, a province just south west of Greater Bangkok and sharing a provincial border with the capital. The province is best known as a major hub for Thailand’s shrimp and fishing industry, packed with markets around the coastal tributaries…
- Economy News
Labour minister says unemployment less than half of predictions
Thailand’s labour minister told a Friday press briefing that the number of unemployed people in Thailand is around 2 to 3 million, less than half the 7 to 8 million previously predicted. He said that since The National Economic and Social Development Council did the calculation, “it cannot be wrong… as the latter is Thailand’s economic planner”. Given the gravities…
- Thailand News
Nearly 80% of Thai prisoners able to find jobs following training during detention
The Thai Corrections Department is considering using foreign prisoners to teach English to other prisoners as part of their occupational training. Thailand’s Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin has suggested the idea during a meeting between his ministry and the Thai Labour Minister. They both signed an agreement to step up further cooperation between the Thai Justice and Labour ministries to come up…
- Covid-19 News
Thai immigration crackdown on illegal migrants flowing back into the country
Thailand borders four countries. Most of the borders are just jungle or the mighty Mekong River. In all cases the borders are easily crossed if someone wants to avoid the correct border channels. The country’s porous borders have been an ongoing issue with some 5 million+ illegal immigrants floating around Thailand at any one time. There has been recent attempts…
- Covid-19 News
Government urged to investigate forced unemployment claims
A Thai labour rights group is urging the government to investigate whether some employers are abusing labour laws to avoid paying their workers during the Covid-19 crisis. The call was made during an online seminar on unemployment related to the outbreak. Some businesses are allegedly requiring their employees to seek unemployment compensation from the Social Security Fund, when they should…
