Migrant workers allowed to work in 12 new sectors in Thailand

Migrant workers allowed to work in 12 new sectors

Migrant workers will be allowed to work in 12 occupations currently reserved for Thais following a recent review of the ban on foreigners in such roles.

Anurak Tossarat, director-general of the Department of Employment, said the Labour Ministry had organised forums to gather feedback on a proposal seeking to delist certain occupations.

Among those consulted were state agencies, business operators, professional associations such as the Thai Restaurant Association, the Architect Council of Thailand, the Board of Trade of Thailand, the National Congress of Thai Labour, and the Office of the Vocational Education Commission.

Opinions were also gathered on the department’s website.

A decision was made that migrant workers will be permitted to work in 12 new occupations while 28 will continue to be reserved for Thais.

Working as a massage therapist is also a new addition to the list of jobs reserved for Thais.

Currently, migrant workers are prohibited from working in 39 occupations reserved for Thais under a 1979 royal decree.

Mr Anurak said the easing of the ban is intended to address shortages in some labour-intensive occupations which many Thais ignore, giving migrant workers a chance to fill the vacancies.

A set of criteria has been designed to ensure that easing the ban will not affect national security or employment opportunities for Thais, he said.

The proposal will be presented for approval by Labour Minister Pol Gen Adul Sangsingkeo and a committee on migrant labour management policy tomorrow.

If all goes as planned, the proposal will be enacted into a ministerial regulation and will be published in the Royal Gazette on July 1, Mr Anurak said.

The 12 occupations which will be delisted from the ban include labour work, bricklaying, carpentry and other construction work, though migrants are required to seek permission before taking the jobs.

Others include agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry or fishery, except work requiring specialised knowledge, giving services in accountancy except internal auditing, making mattresses or quilts, and knife making.

Still others are civil engineering, architectural work, dressmaking, and pottery on the condition that workers must be hired, do not own the business, and are not permitted to do work which shows Thai identity, culture or art.

Among the 28 jobs that migrant workers are not permitted to do are woodcarving, driving vehicles, front-shop sales, cutting or polishing precious or semi-precious stones, haircutting, hairdressing, or beautification, tour guides, hawking of goods and Thai massage therapy.

 

Written by: Penchan Charoensuthipan

Source: Bangkok Post

Published on: 27 May 2018