Bangkok: Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, the Minister of Labor, has announced that no Cambodian workers have currently requested to return to their home country.
According to Thai News Agency, the minister confirmed that the government has plans to support foreign workers and is in the process of registering workers from four nationalities, with the majority being from Myanmar.
During a press conference, Mr. Pipat addressed the recent announcement by Cambodian leaders encouraging their citizens working in Thailand to return home. He noted that there are nearly 500,000 Cambodian workers in Thailand, about 400,000 of whom are working legally, while others work without proper documentation, including roughly 20,000 seasonal fruit pickers. These workers typically commute daily or return after the harvest seasons, such as the sugarcane and durian harvests in the provinces of Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Trat.
Mr. Pipat mentioned that with the sugarcane season concluded and the durian harvest nearing its end, the impact of these workers on Thailand is minimal. He also stated that he consulted with the president of the Employers' Confederation of Thailand, who confirmed that no Cambodian workers have shown a desire to return home. The Ministry of Labor assures that there is no hindrance for Cambodian workers wishing to return voluntarily, with provisions in place to extend expired passports for another year.
The minister outlined the ministry's strategy to bolster foreign worker recruitment in Thailand, highlighting a memorandum of understanding for nearly 200,000 seasonal fruit pickers. Of these, fewer than 20,000 move between Thailand and Cambodia, which is manageable and replaceable. Additionally, the Ministry of Labor is registering workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with Myanmar workers representing the largest group.
There are 1.8 million foreign workers awaiting MOUs and work permit renewals, while around one million Certificate of Identity workers have already entered Thailand and are seeking employment. Mr. Pipat expressed confidence that Thailand has a sufficient foreign workforce to meet its labor demands.