The Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin assigned the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on Politics), Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, and the Counselor (on Labour), acting as Minister Counselor (on Labour), from the Labour Office in Singapore, Mrs. Dacharee Khuhathong, visited Thai workers in Singapore to give encouragement and rice to them. The visit took place at the site of Ed.Zublin AG Singapore is a German company in the business of building and laying large and small wastewater pipes produced and imported from the company’s branches in Thailand. There are five sewage pipeline projects in Singapore, with site F3C3 located at Jalan Buroh as a major water pipeline project. A Thai foreman supervises the work, and about 100 Thai workers work in the company.
Mr. Boonchob said that from talking with the employer, he learned that before the COVID-19 outbreak, Thai workers were permitted to work with work permits in the construction, shipyard, and manufacturing sectors, as Thailand was placed in the Non–Traditional Sources (NTS) group consisting of Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Philippines. However, Thai workers could not work in the service sector and industry. Singapore has reopened, and the service and manufacturing sectors are experiencing labour shortages as Singapore relies mostly on foreign workers from China and Malaysia. Such countries’ policies have resulted in fewer foreign workers working in Singapore. The government, therefore, allows specific cases for the employment of workers from other countries, including those from Thailand. As a result, more Thai workers are working in the service and industrial sectors. Most employers are interested in hiring Thai workers because Thai people are patient, gentle in character, and have a personality suitable for service work. In addition, the industrial sector requires workers to be thorough, careful, knowledgeable in English, and prepared to learn new things; therefore, industrial employers have hired Thai people in the past 2-3 years. There have been no issues that will affect the employment of Thai people in the future. The service sector started hiring in 2020, so it is believed to open the labour market to new careers. According to data from the Labour Office in Singapore, as of November 2022, about 5,000 Thai workers are working in Singapore with certified employment documents from the 2019-2023 fiscal years. Most of them are in the semi-skilled technician field, such as welders, PCM technicians, and shipyard technicians, followed by the industry, with electronic component manufacturing, construction, craftsmen, and service sectors.
Mr. Boonchob continued that the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and the Ministry of Labour, under the supervision of the Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and the Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin, care about the workers and shared encouragement to all Thai workers who traveled to work abroad. Thai workers working abroad are considered important because each person is a pillar of their family, intending to work so that they can send money back to support their family in Thailand. Each year, a large amount of income is sent back to develop the country. As for the Ministry of Labour, there are 12 overseas Thai Labour Offices worldwide, and the Labour Office in Singapore is one of the Thai Labour Offices abroad. The offices have to help Thai workers, take care of their employment benefits, prevent exploitation and help claim benefits if employees are not treated fairly.
“This trip to visit Thai workers in Singapore is an opportunity to meet and talk with Thai workers after the COVID-19 situation has eased. These Thai workers have to leave home to work abroad. We got to speak to the workers and give them encouragement and care from the government. The Prime Minister and the Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart are caring and assigned the Spokesperson and me to visit and inquire about the well-being of everyone in person,” concluded Mr. Boonchob.
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Division of Public Relations
10 December 2022
