On December 18, 2024, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Labour, Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyut, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Somchai Maruksriwan, the Director-General of the Department of Employment, Mr. Decha Phrukphatthanarak, the Director-General of the Department of Skill Development, Lieutenant Commander Saroj Khomkhai, the Director-General of the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, Mrs. Marasri Jairangsi, the Secretary-General of the Social Security Office, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives, met with Mr. Takamaro Fukuoka, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan to discuss official matters on the policy of expanding the Thai labour market and the readiness of the Thai government for the new Employment for Skill Development (ESD) system. The occasion took place at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Labour, said that today, he, along with the executives of the Ministry of Labour, met with the Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to discuss the labour shortage and the aging society in Japan. Currently, Japan is in demand for over 820,000 foreign skilled workers (SSW) in 16 fields. Thai workers also have the potential and are interested in working in such fields, including service work in hotels and restaurants, elderly care work, and driving work (in the future). The Labour Minister said that he would like to push for more skill assessments in these fields in Thailand to prepare Thai labour standards and to prepare the Thai government for the new Employment for Skill Development (ESD) system, which will change the way foreign workers are accepted to work in Japan. The new system will protect foreign workers from exploitation and forced labour or human trafficking.
