On October 7, 2024, at 09.00 hours, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyut, assigned the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Decha Phruekpattanarak, to chair the opening of the 17th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour Thailand National Tripartite Preparatory Workshop “Care work and labour migration in ASEAN.” The event was attended by the Assistant to the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Sakdinart Sonthisakyotin, executives of the Ministry of Labour, agencies under the Ministry of Labour, and relevant agencies. The occasion took place at the Bang Lamphu Meeting Room, 6th Floor, Amari Pratunam Hotel, Bangkok.
Mr. Decha said that today, the Permanent Secretary of the Labour assigned him to chair the opening of the Tripartite Workshop to prepare for the 17th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (AFML), which is an important meeting for Thailand to demonstrate its actions in protecting migrant workers, in line with international standards. For this AFML meeting, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as the host, is co-organizing the conference in collaboration with the International Labour Organization through the International Labour Office in Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. The main topic is “care work and labour migration in ASEAN,” with two sub-topics: 1) Responding to care needs through migration of workers, and 2) Strengthening the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers who work as care workers. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic focuses on providing policy recommendations at the ASEAN regional level to advance the implementation of the principles of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers to help migrant workers legally and safely travel to their destination countries to work, to receive legal protection, and to achieve maximum efficiency, as well as to respond to labour shortages.
Mr. Decha added that Thailand recognizes the importance of foreign workers as an important mechanism for driving the growth of the country’s economy, no less than Thai workers. The rapid advancement of technology, along with changing work formats, will also result in changes in employment demand. In addition, the aging society in ASEAN is being closely watched. Thailand itself has entered a complete aging society. The demand for caregivers has increased, including people who work in the house or garden or do personal care work, such as caring for the elderly, children, and dependents.
“It is important that we, as ASEAN member states, work together to explore the needs of what kind of labour care is needed in destination countries, along with exploring whether the readiness of the workforce to migrate to work can meet the needs of destination countries. We will be able to talk, discuss, share information, reflect on ideas, offer opinions, and process the situation through different perspectives,” said Mr. Decha.
