Labor
Labor policy and administration
Legal implications of COVID-19 disruption for employers in Thailand
As the COVID-19 situation escalates, governments worldwide are imposing travel restrictions, mandatory quarantine procedures, and curfews and lockdowns in an attempt to slow the transmission of the virus. The Thai government has announced many measures to deal with the COVID-19 outbreaks, including ordering the postponement ...
Sasirusm Chunhakasikarn
Migrant workers’ unemployment may hinder disease control
As the Thai economy is heavily impacted by government attempts to control the COVID-19 outbreak, experts believe that the situation for migrant workers may contribute to the epidemic. Proper policies and employment support are needed to set things right. It has been 2 weeks since Rachen ...
Yiamyut Sutthichaya
Myanmar migrant workers in 2019 exceed 300,000
Over 305,000 people went overseas for work during 2019 according to the data from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population. Monthly numbers of workers going abroad from January to November 2019 are 23,235 in January, 22,523 in February, 22,534 in March, 20,766 in April, 30,326 ...
Yu Wai
Academics urge govt to boost labour rights protection in response to GSP suspension
Academics say Thailand has not been adequately protecting workers’ rights – both Thai and foreign – and though there is some improvement, existing laws and regulations still limit their rights. Their comments came after the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced last week that President Donald Trump ...
Wichit Chaitrong
Wages set to increase for civil servants
The government will increase the minimum wage for civil servants, teachers, doctors, and armed forces in a move to improve their living conditions next year. Speaking in a cabinet meeting at the Peace Palace on Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that wages for both government ...
Khy Sovuthy
Changes to workplace relocation laws in Thailand
Under the old law, relocation to another existing work location of the employer, such as to another branch, would not fall within the scope of workplace relocation (Section 120 of the LPA), which requires employee consent, but would instead constitute a change in employment conditions. ...
Warnings over new law to protect workers in Thai fishing industry
A new law to address abuses in Thailand’s multi-billion dollar fishing industry contains loopholes, labor rights campaigners said on Thursday, warning of difficulties in enforcement. The legislation published on Wednesday follows years of global scrutiny over abuse of Thai and migrant workers and mandates basic rights ...
Thailand ramps up fight against forced labor with stricter law
Thailand will use a newly amended law to crack down on forced labor with hefty fines and prison time, a move analysts said could help curb exploitative practices against migrant workers. The Southeast Asian nation, which has come under scrutiny for slavery and trafficking in ...
Rina Chandran
Asean countries struggling with inadequate labour skills
About half the population of the Asean region live in rural areas and suffer from a shortage of quality jobs and underemployment. In addition, rural people lack training opportunities in line with the needs of the labour market and suffer from the traditional exclusion of ...
Myanmar, Cambodia lead Asean’s soaring minimum wage growth
Countries across Asean are experiencing rapid economic growth, and the associated improvements to the standard of living are conspicuous. Increasing trade means increasing wages — and wage growth is integral to the growth of regional economies. Keep reading ...