The Permanent Secretary of Labour reported that the Ministry of Labour urges close coordination among relevant agencies to help 46 Thai sailors return to Thailand. The Department of Employment has also been instructed to check eligible benefits and coverage, whereby most of the employees were members of the overseas jobseeker assistance fund.
Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol said that he had been contacted by a group of 46 Thai sailors whose employment was arranged by several recruitment companies. The workers had asked for help to return to Thailand because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic causing unemployment on cruise ships, which has stopped picking up passengers for almost 6 months now. The Ministry of Labour has taken action and has urgently looked for ways to help the sailors through coordination with relevant departments. It has also instructed the Department of Employment to check eligible benefits and coverage. Initial data has found that 12 Thai workers are members of the overseas jobseeker assistance fund, whereas 34 are non-members.
Mr. Suthi further said that Thai workers who are legally working abroad and are members of the overseas jobseeker assistance fund will receive help and assistance if experiencing problems in a foreign country. The assistance will be at the rate specified by the fund upon application. Thai workers working abroad in countries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, officials of that country have provided an announcement that worked impacted from the situation will be eligible for the following support:
1. Fund members affected and experiencing problems from the pandemic causing them to return to Thailand before the end of the employment contract will receive 15,000 Baht each.
2. Fund members who have encountered problems abroad, such as employers announcing business closure due to measures in each country to prevent the spread of the virus, or where the employer has ordered a suspension of work and is waiting to return to work again which is not the fault of the fund members, causing suffering to lack of income, the overseas labour office will be responsible and consider providing assistance to fund members that have requested support. The foreign labour offices will investigate the facts. If fund members do not receive help from their employer, the foreign labour office will consider providing actual and appropriate assistance according to Article 5 (2)(Ngor) as in actual expenses, not exceeding 30,000 Baht per person.
The Permanent Secretary of Labour has therefore emphasized to all Thai workers and Thai workers who are traveling to work abroad, to ensure that they work legally and apply for a fund to support job seekers abroad. The fund will ensure that they receive benefits and protection in the event of danger, death, disability, or experiencing problems in a foreign country, such as in the above case where the workers have coverage throughout the whole duration of their employment agreement.
However, before deciding to work abroad, the worker should study the information before traveling. They can inquire for information from employment offices in every province, the Bangkok Employment Office Area 1-10, and the Division of Thai Overseas Labour Administration to prevent being deceived by fraud, or call the Ministry of Labour’s 1506 hotline, press 2 for the Department of Employment.
