BANGKOK: Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn reached an agreement to send 3,000 Thai skilled workers to South Korea during his trip to Seoul on Wednesday (March 13).
Phiphat clinched the deal to send Thai welders and mechanical technicians at a meeting with representatives of five South Korean shipbuilders – HD Hyundai Heavy Industry, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Hyundai Samho, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean.
The three Hyundai Group companies had agreed to collaborate, the minister said after the meeting at Lotte Hotel Seoul.
Thailand proposed sending workers with expertise in shipbuilding, oceanographic engineering and electronic communication engineering, he said. The workers will be fluent in English and able to learn Korean.
He added that the meeting had reassured the South Koreans about Thailand's worker export procedures.
The Royal Thai Police last year launched a crackdown on human-trafficking websites duping Thais, known as “little ghosts”, into working in South Korea.
Phiphat said there are around 20,000 legally registered Thai workers in South Korea, where wages are at least five times higher than in Thailand. The ministry planned to increase the number of Thai workers sent to South Korea by 3,000-4,000 this year, he added.
It aims to send 100,000 Thai workers abroad this year, also increasing numbers to meet demand in Australia and Eastern European countries like Poland, Phiphat said.
The minister added that Thailand has no issue in boosting its workers' technical skills, but he had asked recruitment agencies to enhance their language proficiency, especially in Korean, Japanese and English.
"Thai workers have weakness in language, but are strong in talent and skills," he said, adding that they are also good at following orders.
The South Korea visit aims to boost opportunities for Thais to work abroad, said Employment Department director-general Somchai Morakotsriwan.
He confirmed that South Korea was increasing its skilled foreign workforce under its E7 visa scheme, adding that the country also allows recruitment agencies to send workers.
Somchai said his department will help Thai workers apply for work permits in South Korea and collaborate with the Department of Skill Development to prepare them before they travel overseas. - The Nation/ANN
