May 10, 2025 – Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Labour, together with Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyut, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Sakdinart Sonthisakyotin, Assistant to the Permanent Secretary of Labour, and a delegation traveled to the Republic of Korea to attend the 7th APEC Human Resource Development Ministerial Meeting, held in Jeju Island from May 9–16, 2025. The mission also aims to strengthen Thailand’s comprehensive labour cooperation abroad. Mrs. Sirirat Srichart, Labour Minister-Counsellor at the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul, welcomed the delegation.
The first stop was in Seoul. Mr. Phiphat visited Thai workers at Lemongrass Thai, the branch in Gangnam. The restaurant is a popular Thai restaurant chain under Seyeon FNC Co., Ltd., with 13 branches across South Korea.
Mr. Phiphat encouraged the Thai workers to work diligently and save money, avoid drugs and vices, work legally to ensure stable income and continuous protection under both Thai and Korean social security systems, and improve job and language skills to qualify for E-7 visas, which offer higher wages, better career opportunities and ultimately, a better quality of life.
In a discussion with Mr. Park Bong Soo, CEO of Seyeon FNC, Mr. Phiphat thanked the company for hiring and supporting Thai workers. Mr. Park confirmed that Thai employees are treated fairly and provided with welfare benefits. Each restaurant branch generates an average monthly income of around 4 million Baht, underscoring the popularity of Thai cuisine in Korea.
Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyut, Permanent Secretary of Labour, expressed gratitude for the company’s support of Thai workers, while Mr. Thani Sangrat, Thai Ambassador to Seoul, gave an update on the situation of Thai workers in South Korea, stressing the importance of working legally.
Among the workers present was Mr. Wanchai Rakwattana, a chef from Phitsanulok province, who has worked in South Korea for over 3 years. He earns around 50,000 Baht per month, receives free meals and accommodation, and contributes to the South Korean national pension fund (Gukmin Yeongeum), jointly funded by employer and employee.
Other key activities during the visit included Mr. Phiphat visiting foreign workers’ support centers in South Korea. He also hosted bilateral meetings with Mr. Min-Suk Kim, Acting Minister of Employment and Labor, South Korea, and Mr. Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of Human Resources, Malaysia, to discuss labour law reform and expanded labour cooperation. The Labour Minister met with Dr. Park Kwan Bai, Senior Researcher at RICON, for an overview of the South Korean labour market. He met the Governor of Gyeonggi Province at the provincial government office. He visited the Yeoju Training Center for New Foreign Workers under the KOILAF Foundation, encouraging 120 recently arrived Thai workers.
This visit highlights Thailand’s proactive role as a source of skilled, high-quality labour, reinforcing international trust and collaboration toward the goal of “improving quality of life, skills, and dignity for Thai workers on the global stage.”
