On March 13, 2020, at 13.30 hours, at the Thai Hotels Association on Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, Labour Minister M.R. Chatu Mongol Sonakul assigned Assistant to the Labour Minister Dr. Duangrit Benjathukul Chairungrueng to meet with Ms. Suphawan Thanomkiatphum, President of the Thai Hotel Association and Ms. Juthatat Laothamatat, Member of the Action Coalition for Thailand Party, to discuss support for hotel operators after losing tourists, resulting in unemployment, which is affect by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After the meeting with the Thai Hotel Association, Assistant to the Labour Minister Dr. Duangrit Benjathukul Chairungrueng disclosed that the spread of the Covid-19 virus in many countries had affected the tourism industry to be, especially the Thai hotel operators who are facing a slowdown, closing businesses, and freezing hiring of employees in hotels. The result is from a loss of tourists, whereby most employees do not have other professions to support themselves, and some were not prepared for the incident. “The Ministry of Labour and the Thai Hotel Association have held discussions to find measures to support and restore confidence in the Thai hotel group. Both parties agreed that there should be measures of support, including driving and stimulating employment. From listening to the issues by the Thai Hotel Association, it was found that the government’s support is more needed in unemployment, in which the tourism industry and hotel business is most affected. Therefore, we have had a meeting together to find solutions,” said Dr. Duangrit. “The Ministry of Labour has set up an operation center to support the unemployment situation. It aims to coordinate and consider measures to alleviate the effects and remedies for employees and employers. It emphasizes that all departments in the Ministry of Labour help affected people urgently, which is to the satisfaction of the employers who participated in discussions. In the initial stage, it will immediately inspect affected workplaces, and departments under the Ministry of Labour will work together closely. The Department of Employment, whose main objective is to promote employment, has set up support measures to assist those who are terminated, as follows: before the layoffs, provincial Employment Offices and the Bangkok Employment Office Area 1-10, were instructed to monitor the establishments in the respective areas, especially in the tourism industry, and monitor workplaces that are likely to close businesses, lay off or reduce the number of employees, to prepare for job vacancies in the same or similar type of business to support terminated employees. There will be periodic monitoring and coordination of agencies in both the central and regional areas. As for port-termination measures, if there are a lot of layoffs, the agencies will survey the basic needs of the unemployed workers to provide systematic assistance. The Department of Skill Development will upskill workers to match the needs of employers. The Social Security Office will create awareness by visiting companies, and the Department of Welfare and Protection will oversee the information of companies with at risk of unemployment,” concluded the Labour Minister’s Assistant.
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Division of Public Relations
13 March 2020
