On April 25, 2022, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin joined the delegation of the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha to visit Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces to follow up on the Royal Initiative Project to improve the Phuminat Dam Initi Canal to have sufficient potential to solve the flooding problem in Hat Yai District. It also aims to be an area to store water for use during the dry season. The occasion occurred at Klong Phumnatdamri (Khlong Rama 1), Khuan Lang Subdistrict, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. The delegation also met with the people at Hat Yai Municipality. Governor of Songkhla Province, Mr. Jesada Chitrat, gave a welcoming.
From there, the Labour Minister traveled with the Prime Minister’s delegation to the Phatthalung Provincial Auditorium, Khuha Sawan Subdistrict. Muang Phatthalung District, Phatthalung Province. The Governor of Phatthalung Province, Mr. Kukiat Wongkraphan, gave a welcoming. They joined the meeting to deliver policies to the heads of government agencies in Phatthalung Province, local management, the Chairman of the Local Village Headsmen Council in Phatthalung Province, and members of the Phatthalung Provincial Administrative Organization Council. The delegation visited the OTOP product exhibition and the activity booths of the Ministry of Labour. On this occasion, the Prime Minister met to support 56 labour volunteer leaders at the district level in Songkhla and Phatthalung. Labour volunteers are crucial in linking the Ministry of Labour’s missions to the area. They are people who have sacrificed for the public and work closely with the people in the community in bringing the mission of coordinating labour services to provide people with jobs, skills, occupations, income, protection, and sustainable social security. The Labour Minister led the Prime Minister to visit the Ministry of Labour’s activity booths. They showcased products from groups that have been successful in promoting vocational training by the Ministry of Labour’s agencies in Phatthalung Province. The groups included the Krajood Wannee House homeworkers, the Baan Hua Pa Khiao Arts and Crafts Group from the One Province, One Course project, the design, installation, and application of solar cells group, and the tilapia products processing group, and the Ban Channa curry-making group. Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, Mr. Pairoj Chotiksetian, Mr. Prateep Songlamyong, Mr. Niyom Songkaew, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the occasion. The Labour Minister also joined the Prime Minister’s delegation in the project’s opening ceremony to promote folk arts and culture in Manorah performances. “Continuing the art of the land of Nora, World Heritage Cultural Intellect” in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, on the auspicious occasion to celebrate His Majesty the King’s 90th Birthday on 12 August 2022. The occasion took place in the front of the Old City Hall, Phatthalung Province.
Mr. Suchart said that the Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, focus on promoting the occupation of community enterprise groups to create employment at the local level. The Ministry of Labour was instructed to take care of community enterprises to be strong and sustainable, enable professional groups from the grassroots level to develop further into SME entrepreneurs in the future, and welcome Thai and foreign tourists. Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces are already potential economic and tourism cities in the south. The departments under the Ministry of Labour in the area have worked with relevant agencies and local organizations to promote community enterprise groups, such as promoting occupations that meet the needs of product processing and online marketing promotion. Modern technology has also been introduced into occupations to reduce costs and add value. It also alleviates professional troubles for informal workers, elderly workers, disabled workers, and vulnerable groups of workers to have a career and a stable income.
Songkhla has 127 labour volunteers, most of whom are in the manufacturing sector in the Hat Yai and Muang Districts. There are 9,487 establishments and 190,644 insured persons. The COVID-19 relief programs compensated employers of nine types, including 6,042 types of business, and 572,203 employees, totaling 162,387,000 Baht. It circulated 5,453,849,500 Baht into the economy. For the project to promote and maintain employment levels in SMEs, there were 5,672 registered employers and 61,681 employees, circulating 555,129,000 Baht into the economy. On vaccinations, 14,061 insured persons have received the second jab. In Phatthalung, there are 65 labour volunteers. Most employment is in the government and production sectors in Mueang and Khuan Khanun Districts. There are 1,625 establishments and 20,085 insured persons. The government remedy program for insured persons under Section 39 and 40 in the 29 provinces healed 8,028 employees, totaling 40,140,000 Baht. The government’s project to remedy self-employed persons working in entertainment businesses covered 653 people, totaling 3,265,000 Baht. The efforts resulted in 43,405,000 Baht being injected into the economy. The project to promote and maintain employment levels in SMEs reached 1,030 registered employers and 7,944 employees, resulting in 71,496,000 Baht in the economy.
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Division of Public Relations
26 April 2022
