Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, Police Major General Nantachat Supamongkol, Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, Mr. Wannarat Srisuksai, Mr. Pairoj Chotiksetian, and committee, paid a courtesy call to Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, the Thai Ambassador to Stockholm, Sweden. The visit was on the occasion of a visit to Sweden to discuss and listen to information about the workers’ wellbeing, including problems, obstacles, and suggestions for Thai workers in Sweden. The occasion took place at the Royal Thai Embassy in Stockholm. They discussed the issue of pushing for Thai workers in Sweden to be protected by legal benefits and welfare and discussed the trend of demand for foreign workers to work in Sweden or Scandinavia to increase the opportunity to drive more Thai workers to work in Sweden and expand the Thai labour market in Sweden.
Mr. Suchart thanked the Thai Ambassador to Stockholm for taking good care of Thai workers who traveled to Sweden to work as seasonal fruit pickets and for supervising the Thai workers each season to be protected by law, have a hygienic living conditions, and have access to health care system in case of illness or accidents while working in Sweden.
Mr. Suchart continued that over 7,000 Thai workers traveled to Sweden in 2021 to work as fruit pickers. The workers traveled through arrangements by employers in Thailand. The Thai workers received work visas and an employment contract that guarantees the minimum monthly income as the Swedish local labour union prescribes. Thai workers who work as wild fruit pickers earn an average income of a hundred thousand Baht per person after deducting expenses. The workers travel to work when it is the off-season for agricultural harvesting in Thailand. They work for a period not exceeding 90 days. The Thai workers traveling to collect wild fruits have built a reputation and are recognized for their ability and expertise in collecting wild fruits. As a result, Thai workers are highly sought after by the companies that buy wild fruits.
Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, the Thai Ambassador to Stockholm, Sweden, said that there are almost 80,000 Thai people in Sweden. Wild fruit pickers represent over 90 percent of Thai workers in Sweden. For these workers, Swedish employers have guaranteed a minimum monthly income for Thai workers as required by the Swedish local labour union, which is about a hundred thousand Baht per person. Sweden has a strong union that benefits Thai workers, ensuring they are well cared for by their employers. Sweden still faces a shortage of workers, especially caregivers for the elderly, nursing assistants, and IT talent, because they are entering an aging society like other countries. There are also more than 1,000 Thai massage shops and Thai restaurants in Sweden that require workers. The discussion today was a good opportunity for the Ministry of Labour to expand the labour market for skilled Thai people to have the opportunity to work in other fields besides picking wild fruit in Sweden.
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Division of Public Relations
9 September 2022
