Mr. Phumipat Mueanchan, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson, reported that Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the Minister of Labour, expedited the monitoring of Thai workers going to work abroad in order to generate income for the country and promote employment among Thais. From January to November 2024, over 86,000 Thais have been permitted to work abroad, sending back income through the Bank of Thailand amounting to 246,379 million Baht, which is considered a very high value. Currently, 144,617 Thais are working in 134 countries worldwide. The five countries with the most Thai workers are Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Israel, and Malaysia, respectively.
The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson said that in addition to the income and benefits that Thai workers receive while working abroad, many people do not know how to apply for benefits when they return to Thailand, such as income tax refunds, old-age pensions, and claiming outstanding wages from employers. Many countries where Thai people work will provide these benefits according to their laws, especially Taiwan, which employs the most Thai workers. For example, applying for old-age benefits from the Labour Insurance Fund for Thai workers in the manufacturing and construction sectors who have returned to Thailand and are 60 years old or older will receive an old-age benefit equal to the average salary multiplied by the length of membership in the fund. Documents such as ID cards, house registration (in English), passports, copies of bank accounts, and employment contracts, can be submitted at the Labour Office in every province or the International Cooperation Bureau, Office of the Permanent Secretary of Labour in Bangkok.
“It is the Ministry of Labour’s duty to help the people, especially Thais, who are going to work abroad. Most of these workers find out about this information by word of mouth. The Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat, would like all agencies to help publicize this information as it is a benefit that the people are entitled to. However, currently, there are companies or brokers visiting communities and inviting Thai workers to apply for retirement benefits through their companies, where they collect a share of the retirement benefits. Therefore, I would like to caution workers not to believe such people and to contact the Ministry of Labour directly, which is the best way,” said Mr. Phumipat.
