On April 19, 2022, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin welcomed the President of the Fisheries Association of Thailand, Mr. Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, on the occasion of leading the Fisheries Association of Thailand’s new management committee to thank the government and the Ministry of Labour for helping to solve the labour shortage in the marine fisheries sector. They also introduced themselves and explained the current management guidelines of the association. Assistant Minister from the Prime Minister’s Office performing duties for the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Suthi Sukosol, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson, Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Department of Employment’s Director-General, Mr. Phairoj Chotikasathian and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the occasion at the Prasong Rananant Meeting Room, 5th floor, Ministry of Labour.
Mr. Suchart said that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, foresee the importance of the fishermen’s troubles regarding the labour shortages. Therefore, there was an order for relevant agencies to work together to solve such problems. In the past, the Ministry of Labour held a meeting to listen to the proposals of the Fisheries Association of Thailand on December 21, 2021, the meeting of the Foreign Work Policy Subcommittee on January 21, 2022, and the Foreign Worker Management Policy Committee meeting on February 2, 2022. In the meetings, the Fisheries Association proposed to end the guidelines for bringing in detainees to work in marine fisheries and approved the granting of Section 83 of the Fisheries Royal Ordinance B.E. 2558 to solve labour shortages in marine fishing, requiring sea fishermen to register and apply for the Seabook every year, twice times a year, with three months validity each time.
President of the Fisheries Association of Thailand, Mr. Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, said that on behalf of the Fisheries Association of Thailand, he thanked the government under Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin. He said that he understands the problems of fishermen very well and asked relevant agencies to help solve the problem of labour shortages in marine fisheries. He has also tried to push the Cabinet to approve the commencement of Article 83 of the Fisheries Decree, which will help reduce obstacles in the occupations in marine fisheries.
++++++++++++++++++++
Division of Public Relations
19 April 2022
