The Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Assistant to the Labour Minister, Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on Politics), Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Wannarat Srisuksai, the Department of Employment’s Director-General, Mr. Pairoj Chotiksetian, and committee, paid a courtesy call to the Thai Ambassador to Helsinki, Finland, Ms. Chavanart Thangsumphant. The visit was made on the occasion of a visit to Finland to discuss labour matters at the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki. The meeting discussed important issues such as encouraging Thai workers traveling to collect wild fruits in Finland to have an employment contract with the employer, protected by legal benefits and welfare. It also supports continuous cooperation between the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki and the Thai Ministry of Labour through a joint working group mechanism, encouraging Thai workers working in Finland to receive protection and welfare under the law for both skilled and seasonal fruit-picking workers. They also discussed the drive for more Thai workers to work in Finland, expanding the Thai labour market in Finland, and having a working group between the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki and the Ministry of Labour to manage and coordinate Thai workers in Finland.
Mr. Suchart thanked the Thai Ambassador to Helsinki for providing good care for Thai workers. She introduced three people from the private sector, including Karise Barigort, Executive Chairman, Irma Urikangas, Senior Advisor on Strategic Initiatives, and Isek Garfunkel, Director of High-Performance Human Resource Attraction, an executive of Helsinki Partners, to meet the Labour Minister to discuss bringing Thai workers to Finland in sectors facing shortages. More importantly, the embassy will facilitate bringing the private sector representatives to conduct a study in Thailand within October due to Thailand’s readiness and potential to send skilled workers to Finland. In 2021 and 2022, the Ministry of Labour dispatched 7,902 Thai workers to work in Finland, most of them being in the agricultural group as wild fruit pickers, farm workers, and gardeners, followed by Thai cooks and chefs. Each year, these workers generate an income of at least 700 million Baht for the country.
Karise Barigort, Executive Chairman of Helsinki Partners, said that Finland currently faces a large labour shortage as it is entering an aging society. The city of Helsinki has provided opportunities for many industries to invest in promoting business growth and international tourism. Therefore, there is a need for skilled workers in various fields, such as IT, programmers, elderly caregivers, and smart technology.
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Division of Public Relations
6 September 2022
