On December 23, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin reported that the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha cares for all worker groups and has instructed each agency to give New Year gifts as an encouragement to the people during the New Year festival and to lighten the burden during the COVID-19 situation. The Ministry of Labour, under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, will give gifts to create morale for workers, insured persons, employees, employers, self-employed people, and the general public to promote a better quality of life. This year, the Ministry of Labour’s New Year’s gifts are under the campaign “The Ministry of Labour’s 2022 New Year’s Gifts to Give the Workforce a Peace of Mind”. There are nine gifts of happiness to give to the workforce, including:
The first gift is a 0% interest for 12 months from December 1, 2021, to August 31, 2022, from the Homeworkers Fund, providing benefits to over 6,000 homeworkers, reducing the burden of paying interest for 12 months.
The second gift is free DSD Services for car inspections before traveling. The inspection comprises 12 items, and the services will be available from December 15 to 30, 2021. Services are available via the DSD Line Office with government network organizations and the private sector traveling with the people. Information is available regarding the location of service points for travelers in 77 provinces. The service is available 24 hours from December 27, 2021, to January 7, 2022.
The third gift is free DSD Online Training, providing free training anytime and anywhere from January 15 to 31, 2022. Services are available at http://onlinetraining.dsd.go.th. Training includes online greeting card making, safe driving, preliminary maintenance before traveling, and ten popular Thai dishes.
The fourth gift is to increase the rate of employee benefits in the case of COVID-19 up to 100 times (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2022).
The fifth gift is a free assessment of light, noise, and heat levels harmful to operators. The initiative is to enhance the potential of “Industrial Hygiene in the Workplace” (December 24, 2021, to January 14, 2022).
The sixth gift is special privileges to support working capital to increase income. The Labour Fund will benefit 594 organizations of savings cooperatives in business establishments and state enterprises, amounting to 560,476 people, with interest reduced by 2.25 percent per year, with a budget of 50 million Baht.
The seventh gift is to reduce the contribution rate of the insured persons under Section 40 by 60 percent for six months, giving benefits to the insured under Section 40 in the amount of 10.57 million people, with a revolving cash flow in the economy of 1,408.56 million Baht.
The eighth gift is to reduce the approval process for dialysis rights, whereby insured persons who are new patients of chronic renal failure will not need to pay a reserve. New chronic renal failure insured persons can submit their rights to hospitals that can be treated immediately via the electronic system without reservation, for an average of 240 people per month. Payment is the actual cost rate, not exceeding 1500 Baht per time, for 12 times per month, per person. The total number of insured persons who do not need to reserve will amount to 4.32 million Baht per month, up to 3 months, for 12.96 million Baht.
The ninth gift is a special New Year’s to encourage insured persons who are bedridden patients in every section (Sections 33, 39, and 40).
Mr. Suchart continued that it comes from a great intention that the government and the Ministry of Labour have given importance to all workers groups to have a better quality of life. The efforts ensure that all workers have access to government services to create equality and reduce inequality in society and stimulate employment demands in the new economy both domestically and internationally. The focus aims at systematic foreign management and developing labour skills to be quality workers leading to career advancement and better income. The efforts collaborate with all relevant sectors to develop the workforce following future market demands. This will raise the quality of workers’ lives to ensure stability.
“In 2022, the Ministry of Labour remains committed to caring for all worker groups like family members. The goal is to promote careers, jobs, income, and welfare protection, ensuring security in life,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
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Division of Public Relations
23 December 2021
