On December 20, 2022, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, welcomed Ms. Jaruwan Ngamphisutpaisarn, Chairman of the Thai Retailers Association Human Resources Subcommittee along with Mrs. Marisa Sukosol Nunpukdee, President of the Thai Hotels Association and delegation, on the occasion of a meeting to discuss cooperation in resolving labour shortages in the tourism and service sector industry. Representatives of the Department of Employment and the Department of Skill Development joined the discussion at the Permanent Secretary of Labour’s meeting room, 7th floor, Ministry of Labour.
Mr. Boonchob said that the current labour shortage among tourism and service operators is a result of the government’s country re-opening policy and the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has promoted the tourism sector to grow following the return of tourists. Additionally, the business sector has recovered rapidly, increasing employment. Business operators are, therefore, in high demand for workers. Today, the Ministry of Labour had discussions with organizations, both the Thai Retailers Association and the Thai Hotel Association, to integrate cooperation between the public and private sectors in solving labour shortages and upgrading labour skills in line with the needs of entrepreneurs.
Mr. Boonchob continued that on the Ministry of Labour’s part, the Department of Employment has developed the “thaimeengantum” platform which collects vacancies from all over the country. Job seekers can find job information suitable for them by matching job positions by area and domicile and matching job positions based on existing knowledge, abilities, and skills. Job posting services are also available for employers and establishments, whereby registered employers can announce job positions and select candidates from a list of job seekers. The services are provided free of charge. On the other hand, the Department of Skill Development has also carried out skills training for careers to support the expansion of the tourism and service sectors, such as Thai food entrepreneur courses, Halal food cooks, Thai massage and spa workers, bartenders, boat attendants, maintenance technicians, and drivers. The courses are focused on training in tourism and service business areas, mainly in tourist provinces such as Phuket, Chon Buri, Rayong, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Bangkok.
Ms. Jaruwan Ngamphisutpaisarn, Chairman of the Thai Retailers Association Human Resources Subcommittee, said that business operators in the tourism and service sector are currently facing labour shortages in terms of quantity, especially in important tourist destinations like Phuket. According to today’s discussion, there is a common approach to developing the “thaimeengantum” platform, enabling the database to be linked with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Education, and other establishments. Regarding quality, especially the workers’ skills, there will be a collaboration in upgrading digital skills, language capabilities, and necessary soft skills. Today, the world of work has changed, where one worker can work in many occupations and work more diversely.
Mrs. Marisa Sukosol Nunpukdee, President of the Thai Hotels Association, said that the hotel business and service sectors have already focused on hiring Thai workers, and there is still a need to hire Thai workers. Only some occupations depend on foreign workers. Today’s meeting with the Ministry of Labour has agreed on joint development in many areas, especially integrating the new graduate student database with the employment database so that various public and private agencies, particularly business operators, can access this information. Developing various workers’ skills in the service sector in the country is also important. Many hotel sector careers require learning and practicing language skills, digital technology, marketing, and revenue management. Therefore, it is a good opportunity for this discussion to lead to working together. The Thai Retailers Association and the Thai Hotel Association are willing to join forces using public and private mechanisms to continue to solve such problems together.
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Division of Public Relations
20 December 2022
