On June 24, 2024, the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, paid a visit to give encouragement and advice to 309 Thai workers who received training before traveling to work in Israel. The Labour Minister’s Advisor, Mr. Thanat Thaweekueakulkit, the Secretariat to the Labour Minister, Mr. Aree Krainara, from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat’s Office, performing duties for the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Phuchong Worasri, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Pairoj Chotikasathien, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Decha Phruekpattanarak, and the Assistant to the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Ms. Kornjirat Phongchansathorn, and the Department of Employment’s Director-General, Mr. Somchai Morakotsriwan gave a report. The Ministry of Labour’s executives and workers receiving the training joined the occasion at the meeting room on the 5th floor, Ministry of Labour.
The Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, said that the Ministry of Labour prioritizes the safety of Thai workers. The Department of Employment announced the “cancellation in the delay of sending Thai workers to work in Israel through all means of travel” under the condition that Thai workers will travel to work in “green spaces,” which are safe areas. Between June and July, they will prepare to send 540 Thai workers to work in the agricultural sector in Israel. Before traveling, all workers go through training to equip themselves with the knowledge and understanding of the conditions under the employment contract, employment conditions, customs, cultures, and traditions, as well as their benefits and protection entitlements according to the law. They will also know the proper channels to ask for help from relevant agencies if they experience problems while working, including guidelines for managing emergency/war situations. This is the first time that Thai workers will be sent to work in Israel after a delay of over eight months. Today, 309 Thai workers are receiving training before traveling to work in the agricultural sector in Israel. All will gradually travel between June 25 and 26, 2024, and July 2 and 3, 2024. It is expected that 10,000 Thai workers will be sent to work in Israel within this year.
Mr. Phiphat continued that from speaking with the Thai workers who received training before traveling to work in Israel, he learned that most of them are from Udon Thani, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Phanom, Buriram, and Nakhon Ratchasima Provinces. He congratulated everyone and reminded them to take the best responsibility for their assigned tasks and be diligent for their families waiting for them. He encouraged the workers to have a savings plan so that they could come back and create a future for themselves and their families. Most importantly, they must not get involved with drugs, intoxicants, and gambling of any kind. Finally, for safety, he reminded the workers to strictly follow Israel’s measures. Tomorrow, the executive team of the Ministry of Labour is scheduled to travel to Suvarnabhumi Airport to send encouragement to the first batch of Thai workers traveling to work in Israel.
The Department of Employment’s Director-General, Mr. Somchai Morakotsriwan, said that in the 2024 fiscal year, 67,208 workers had been sent to work abroad. Israel is one of the top five countries where Thai workers want to travel to work (the top 5 countries are Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Israel, and Malaysia, respectively). The most popular sectors are the agricultural sector, followed by the service sector and restaurants, such as chefs and cooks in Thai, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants, which are becoming popular in Israel. One of the main factors comes from income, which averages 50,000 to 55,000 Baht per month.
“The Thai government is highly aware of the safety of Thai workers. During a visit to Israel at the end of May, the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat, asked for cooperation from the Israeli government to help emphasize that employers take care of the safety of Thai workers by working only in green areas. Thai workers are not allowed to change employers or workplaces, work in yellow or red areas, and employers must provide a shelter that is strong and safe enough,” said the Department of Employment’s Director-General.
Those interested in traveling to work abroad can follow news about recruitment announcements at the doe.go.th/overseas and ask for more details at Provincial Employment Offices in every province, the Bangkok Employment Office, Areas 1-10, the Ministry of Labour’s hotline, call 1506, press 2 for the Department of Employment, or the Department of Employment’s hotline on 1694.
