The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson, Mr. Phumiphat Mueanchan, spoke about the 2025 fiscal year, which will start on October 1, 2024, saying that the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, has set the vision of “outstanding social security, emphasizing modern skills, Thai people having jobs, creating a safety culture, and a stable Thai labour economy.” The vision sets out to care for over 40 million workers in both the formal and informal systems. This is in line with the government’s policy under the leadership of Prime Minister Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, which is to upgrade the workforce’s skills in line with the modern world. The Ministry of Labour will re-skill and up-skill Thai workers in digital, AI, robotic automation, EV, logistics, BCG, and SDGs, focusing on the special economic corridors in all four regions and high-level workers in the Eastern Economic Corridor. It will also cover SME entrepreneurs, freelance workers, the elderly, and the disabled and help students earn income while studying.
The Ministry of Labour also aims to drive Soft Power, particularly in the tourism and service business groups. It plans to develop the skills of tourism and service personnel who are in short supply, such as receptionists, waiters, chefs, assistant chefs, accountants, and housekeepers. The Ministry also aims to produce and export Thai workers abroad, such as food entrepreneurs, traditional Thai doctors, and Muay Thai trainers, and to incentivise Muay Thai trainers from around the world to take the labour skill standard assessment in the Muay Thai trainer branch through the Thai testing centers. The efforts also strive to create labour skill development coupons, increasing the proportion of e-learning usage to develop labour skills, as well as expanding the credit bank by setting credit transfer standards to cover a wider range of skills and knowledge.
“An example of what will be accomplished within the first three months is the development of integrated production and marketing skills for independent occupation groups, with one group per province as the pilot project. This is considered the second phase of the One Tambon, One Independent Occupation Group project and will be developed to cover 400 groups nationwide by March 31, 2025. In addition, we will expedite the law to promote and protect independent labour that is currently in progress, which will cover the care of rider occupations and increase social security benefits to attract independent workers to become insured under Section 40, such as in the case of disability, child support, and loss of income, and reduce the contribution rate by 10 percent for insured persons who pay contributions in advance for 12 monthly installments for five years, etc.” said Mr. Phumiphat.
