On July 7, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin gave a speech after chairing the meeting to discuss with the Thai Contractors Association Under H.M. The King’s Patronage, the Bangkok Street Hawker Club, and the Thai Restaurant Association regarding food management guidelines for helping workers who are quarantined in worker camps. The meeting took place at the Prof. Nikom Chandravithu meeting room, 5th floor, Ministry of Labour. Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, Advisor to the Labour Minister Mrs. Thiwalrat Angkinan, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics) Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Khun Lisa Ngamtrakulpanich President of the Thai Contractors Association Under H.M. The King’s Patronage, Ms. Yada Phornpetchrampha, Chairman of the Bangkok Street Hawker Club, Khun Thaniwan Kulmongkol, President of the Thai Restaurant Association, Ms. Phitsanat Wanichmongkolkit, Secretary of the Bangkok Hawker Clubs, Mr. Rewat Chobtham from the Thai Stall Network for Sustainable Development with the Ministry of Labour’s executives also participated in the event. Labour Minister Mr. Suchart said that Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha and the Ministry of Labour under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan are concerned for the workforce and those impacted by the CCSA’s measure to close construction worker’s camp. The measure aims to restrict the traveling and movement of workers in the dark red provinces such as Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, and Nakhon Pathom for one month, to control the spread of Covid-19 in worker camp clusters. The Ministry of Labour was assigned to take care of the workers affected by the measures by paying compensation for unemployment benefits at a rate of 50 percent of their wages. It also asked employers for cooperation to provide three meals to all workers. The Ministry of Labour launched the “share the kindness to the workers” project, an additional measure to support and assist employees.
Mr. Suchart said that today, the Ministry of Labour invited representatives of the Thai Contractors Association Under H.M. The King’s Patronage, the Bangkok Street Hawker Club, and the Thai Restaurant Association to meet and discuss, prepare and acknowledge guidelines to help remedy workers who are in construction camps which have been closed according to the CCSA’s announcement. The Ministry of Labour’s Department of Employment has approved the Office of Foreign Workers Administration to establish a food assistance program to provide food to migrant workers who are permitted to work in the construction business in Bangkok during the construction site closure to reach 30,000 people.
“I have foreseen the problem of street vendors who are struggling with the Covid-19 situation resulting in no income from product sales. Therefore, the Ministry of Labour has assisted street vendors in earning income to support themselves and their families. Hawker stalls, including the Thai Restaurant Association, has made lunch boxes to send to workers’ camps under quarantine to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
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Division of Public Relations
7 July 2021
