Thailand addresses the need for 500,000 foreign workers

Poj Aramwattananont, vice chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, announced that the need for workers is rising now that the government has almost completely eliminated all travel and business restrictions relating to the coronavirus in an effort to hasten the recovery of the economy. Thailand’s whole economy, from the export-oriented industries, manufacturing, processing, and construction, to the tourist and service-related sectors, is thought to be propelled by labor. Yesterday, the Thai Chamber of Commerce reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the country’s need for more migrant labor to support economic growth. Since the government stated it would fully reopen the country to foreign tourists, there are numerous important infrastructure projects currently under construction as well as a large number of jobs in the tourism and service industries that need to be filled. The department acknowledges the need for almost 500,000 more foreign employees in its manufacturing and service sectors to aid with the recovery of the economy following the Covid-19 outbreak, but asserts that it is doing everything in its power to assist the kingdom’s enterprises. This is viewed as a serious issue because Thailand is in dire need of foreign labor to aid in the recovery of its economy, which has been severely damaged by the Covid-19 epidemics. According to discussions the relevant authorities have had with Thai business owners, Thai companies have requested the entry of around 277,000 foreign workers, but only about 20,000 of them have actually come. The ongoing political unrest in Myanmar and virus outbreaks haven’t helped Thailand’s labor shortage problem, but Pairoj anticipates that roughly 100,000 people will leave Myanmar by the end of this year. Pairoj Chotikasathien, director-general of the Department of Employment, backed up his colleague by claiming that more foreign workers from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar are returning to work in Thailand as a result of the relaxation of Covid regulations. Up until February 2025, Thailand will also permit illegal immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam to register and find employment. Normally, Thailand’s economy requires roughly three million foreign employees, but at the moment, there are only about 2.5 million legally registered migrant workers there. By the end of the year, Thailand may have approximately 3 million migrant workers due to improved labor policies and the influx of new workers. Last week, the cabinet approved labor management plans, one of which included extending the stay of authorized employees from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar beyond February 13, 2025.