On July 18, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin visited and encouraged the restaurant operator who was cooking lunch boxes for workers camps and monitored the process of transporting the lunch boxes to the campsites, ready to support workers affected by the COVID-19 control measures. The occasion took place at Pa Ja’s restaurant, owned by Mr. Samnieng Ritsak, located at 152/1 Soi Ladprao 80, Yaek 21, Wang Thonglang, Bangkok. The shop is near the workers’ camp, within the responsibility of the Bangkok Employment Office Area 4. The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, and Director-General of the Department of Employment Mr. Phairoj Chotikasathian, also joined the occasion. The Labour Minister said that the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha and the Ministry of Labour under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan is concerned about hawker stalls, taxi drivers, and restaurants that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and following the CCSA’s disease control measures. The Ministry of Labour has been instructed to assist informal workers, especially hawker stalls and restaurant operators, as much as possible and reminded to take care of all worker groups equally. Previously, the Ministry of Labour invited the Chairman of the Bangkok Hawker Stall Association, Taxi Drivers Association of Thailand, and the Thai Restaurant Association, including shops around affected construction camps, to discuss and listen to the issues faced at the Ministry of Labour. Thus, the idea of helping such traders arose, along with alleviating food distress for workers in the camps that were closed due to the construction site closure order. As such, the Ministry of Labour will support the cost of food and receive food from the traders to distribute to the workers in the construction camp. The effort will continue until the end of the measure, as announced, from July 12 – 27, 2021. The Labour Minister has assigned the Department of Employment to take care of this matter.
“Today, my team and I visited the area to encourage the restaurant operators who cook lunch boxes for the workers to camp sit at Soi Ladprao 80, Yaek 21. It is an a-la-carte restaurant in the vicinity of the worker camp. The visit also monitored the process of transporting the lunch boxes to the camp and encouraged the camp workers who were affected by COVID-19 pandemic control measures,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
Mr. Samnieng Ritsak, owner of the Pa Ja restaurant, making the lunchboxes for workers at the campsite in Soi Ladprao 80, said the business was affected by COVID-19, causing not many customers to visit the shop each day. But it didn’t close the shop altogether, as if shops close, regular customers will go to all other restaurants. At present, the shop sells many menus, including a la carte dishes, noodles, and Yen Ta Fo. Making lunch boxes for the workers’ camp is helpful as it supports small restaurants in the community to earn an income and relieve family expenses. It also helps camp workers. He said that he was glad that the government and the Ministry of Labour had given importance to restaurant operators at the lower level to distribute income to the community. In the morning from 07.30 to 08.00 hours, it will make 200 lunch boxes per day, to distribute to nine worker camps.
Director-General of the Department of Employment Mr. Phairoj Chotikasathian said that the Department of Employment would support one meal a day from July 12 to 27, 2021. The effort will target camp workers in Bangkok, in 520 locations, with 750,000 boxes. It will also support perimeter provinces, including Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom Province, and Samut Prakan, totaling 797 locations, with 500,000 boxes. Project participants include the Bangkok Hawker Stall Association, Taxi Drivers Association of Thailand, the Thai Restaurant Association, and shops around the construction camp, for a total of 132 places.
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Division of Public Relations
18 July 2021
