Govt aims to boost foreign gigs

The Labour Ministry has reported that Thailand exported over 55,000 workers during the 2024 fiscal year, resulting in a boost of over 270 billion baht to their families’ incomes.
Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Friday visited and gave words of encouragement to 364 Thai workers who were attending pre-departure training before leaving to work in Taiwan, Israel and Japan.
Of the 364 workers, 321 will be heading to Taiwan for positions in electronics and metal manufacturing, 39 to Israel for construction roles such as carpenters and tilers, and four to Japan for caregiving roles. These workers will be sent abroad through employment agencies.
Mr Phiphat encouraged the workers to perform their duties responsibly, follow the laws and customs of the countries where they will be working, avoid illegal activities and plan their savings to ensure financial security upon returning home.
The Labour Ministry’s Department of Employment (DoE) normally trains workers before their departure to ensure they understand the procedures, employment contracts, working conditions, and culture of their host countries.
Mr Phiphat revealed that his ministry aims to send 100,000 Thai workers abroad in the 2025 fiscal year to enhance their income stability and improve their quality of life. Workers are expected to return with knowledge and experience to contribute to the development of their communities and the country, he said.
He added that the goal is to increase this number by 200,000 per year over the next five years in a bid to generate at least 200 billion baht in revenue annually, which will offset the 600 billion baht lost annually due to foreign labour employment.
According to Mr Phiphat, the ministry is also working to start exporting Thai labour to European countries like Italy, which offer higher wages.
DoE director-general Somchai Morakotsriwan noted that there are currently 144,617 Thai workers employed in 134 countries, with the top five destinations being Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Israel, and Malaysia.
In the 2024 fiscal year, 55,456 workers were sent abroad, generating a total of 270.22 billion baht in remittances.