On June 27, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin gave a speech after chairing the meeting between the Ministry of Labour and the Thai Contractors Association Under H.M. The King’s Patronage, totaling 24 people. The meeting parties included CH Karnchang PLC, Ritta Co., Ltd., Thaweemongkol Construction Co., Ltd., U Work 999 Co., Ltd., and Italian-Thail Development PLC. The meeting discussed the guidelines to seal construction worker camps to control the spread of COVID-19, both among Thai and foreign workers and took place at the Prof. Nikom Chandravithu meeting room, 5th floor, Ministry of Labour. Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Labour Minister’s Secretariat Mr. Suthep Chitayawong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics) Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the occasion. In addition, the Labour Minister said that Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha met with the Public Health Advisory Group from the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on June 25. The meeting’s resolution confirmed the closure of construction worker camps, restrictions on travel, and moving workers from the dark red provinces such as Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom for one month. The measure aims to control the spread of COVID-19 in worker camp clusters. In addition, the Ministry of Labour was assigned to take care of expenses and compensate employees for business operators.
Mr. Suchart continued that during the closure of worker camps, the Ministry of Labour will pay unemployment benefits due to force majeure because of COVID-19, as establishments must close following the orders of the CCSA. The Social Security Office must pay 50 percent of the wages in cash to the workers every five days. The employer will take care of all meals for one month, following the list of employees that the employer approves daily throughout the closure. There is also a system to check that the workers requiring remedies must be in the construction camp. If they are not present, they will not receive such compensation. The Ministry of Labour will coordinate with the Ministry of Public Health and relevant agencies to conduct proactive COVID-19 screening for workers in the construction camps. If the infection is detected, workers must be isolated for treatment according to public health procedures. Those who have not been tested and found with no infection will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. All factories in Bangkok will be monitored and inspected to comply with disease control measures in specific areas or the Bubble and Seal method.
In addition, the Ministry of Labour has assigned the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to inspect and ensure that employers and entrepreneurs strictly implement measures to prevent COVID-19 in worker camps. Furthermore, the Department of Employment will check if there are any illegal workers who will be brought into the system to become legal.
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Division of Public Relations
27 June 2021
