On December 1, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin joined the delegation of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan to attend the meeting with government agencies and private sector companies of Udon Thani at Montathip Convention Center, Muang Udon Thani District, Udon Thani Province. Udon Thani Governor Mr. Siam Sirimongkol gave a welcome speech. The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also participated in the occasion. Mr. Suchart said that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has a country opening policy to welcome foreign tourists. Udon Thani Province is a tourist city with a vision of being a livable city, becoming a trade and investment center in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). The Ministry of Labour’s Udon Thani Institute of Skill Development 18 has been supported through the demonstration project of vocational training to publicize the organization’s mission. The Udon Thani Provincial Labour Office has launched an urgent employment and skill development project to alleviate occupational distress for the informal sector, elderly workers, disabled workers, and vulnerable workers to promote a career and a stable income.
Before the meeting, labour volunteer leaders at the subdistrict level in Udon Thani province joined in the welcoming. The Labour Minister brought the Prime Minister to visit the Ministry of Labour’s activity booths that showcased products from groups that have successfully promoted vocational training from the departments under the Ministry of Labour in Udon Thani Province. Examples include the Ban Yam Karn Yai bamboo weaving career Group, the fabric dyeing and processing products group from the Ban Don Klang Vocational Training Demonstration Project to promote corporate missions, herb processing with technology, and coffee brewing for business.
Namfon Siang-on, chairperson of the mudmee indigo-dyed weaving group in Ban Don Klang, Phang Ngu Subdistrict, Nong Han District, Udon Thani Province, said that the Ban Don Klang mudmee weaving group started from the wisdom of ancestors that have been passed down from generation to generation. From there, it was supported by the Ministry of Labour, providing knowledge on product processing and promoting weaving. In the past, they only made pieces of cloth and shawls, but now they have evolved into Thai fabrics with new patterns in demand in the market. As for the distribution channels, there are storefronts, participation in shops in government places, and selling on the group’s online page. The Udon Thani Institute of Skill Development 18 taught online marketing to the group to have additional channels and promote careers among the members who earn 6,000 Baht per month per person.
Udon Thani Province has a workforce of 620,608 people. There are 603,823 employed people and 8,962 unemployed people. There are 4,232 social security establishments with 160,712 insured workers, 2,622 foreign workers, and 156 volunteer workers. Unemployment benefits were paid due to force majeure for 415 establishments, with 2172 insured persons, amounting to 11,282,067 Baht. The first round of the project to promote and maintain employment in SMEs had 2,208 registered establishments with 24,806 employees.
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Division of Public Relations
1 December 2021
