On September 10, 2021, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha visited to follow up on the Factory Sandbox project at SB Furniture Industry Co., Ltd., Lahan Subdistrict, Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi Province. Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol, Nonthaburi Provincial Governor Mr. Suchin Chaichumsak, Executive Chairman of SB Furniture Industry Co., Ltd Mr. Saraya Chavaldit and other senior executives from the Ministry of Labour also joined the occasion. General Prayuth said that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the world and in all sectors. The government and private sector must work together to drive the country forward, create jobs, and build investor confidence. He thanked the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Industry for working together to integrate the government’s efforts in helping and healing those affected by COVID-19. The government has made vaccinations a national agenda to build immunity among Thai people by starting a Kickoff on June 7, 2021. He thanked all parties involved in driving the government’s national agenda.
General Prayuth continued that the Ministry of Labour is one of the core agencies driving vaccinations as a national agenda. The Ministry of Labour has contributed to vaccinating insured persons in the workplace, providing remedies for insured persons affected by lockdown measures, under Sections 33, 39, and 40, and worker campsites. Therefore, he emphasized the following key issues: 1) To systematically monitor the Factory Sandbox project and prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially the Bubble and Seal operation to provide organized supervision. 2) Drive vaccinations to insured persons. 3) Provide remedies for employers and insured persons under Section 33 in businesses affected by government measures in the most restrictive and controlled areas, and to provide effective remedial payment services and Section 40 groups that must check their eligibility for remedies, to publicize this widely so that insured persons receive assistance to survive the situation.
“The Factory Sandbox is a good project. It is the implementation of preventive and control measures against the spread of COVID-19 in factories. Such operations require the public and private sector to work together, allowing the public sector to participate so we can overcome the fight against COVID-19,” said General Prayuth.
Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin said that for the COVID-19 situation that has continued to have impacts until today, the Ministry of Labour had implemented the Factory Sandbox project by working with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Industry, operating under the concept of managing structures and processes in a manner “Health Economics” to build immunity for workers and investor confidence in driving the economy from the manufacturing and export sectors, which are a mechanism that supports the country’s economy. There are four sectors: automotive, electronic components, food, and medical equipment. Phase 1 will operate in 4 provinces, including Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon, and Chonburi, and in phase 2, will expand to 3 provinces, including Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Chachoengsao and Samut Prakan. The project will take place in manufacturing/export companies with 500 insured persons or more. There are 387 companies that fit the criteria with 474,109 insured persons. The project is operating under the slogan “Inspect, Treat, Control and Care” and kicked off at the same time in 4 provinces on August 23. 1) Inspect is screening with 100% RT-PCR to isolate patients for immediate treatment and carry out self-ATK tests every week. 2) Treatment provides FAI (Factory Accommodation Isolation) of not less than 5% of the employee population, a Hospitel, field hospital, and ICU facility for green, yellow and red patients. 3) Control is to implement Bubble and Seal measures for prevention and control and DMHTT (Distancing, Mask Wearing, Hand Washing, Testing, Thai Chana) and 4) Care is to carry out vaccinations for workers, focusing on the seven risk diseases groups and pregnant women, including issuing a “Blue Factory” certificate to build investor confidence. The project aims to maintain economic stability in the manufacturing and export sectors, which accounted for over 700 billion Baht. The initiative aims to prevent the spread of the factory cluster so that the country can move forward and build confidence for both Thai investors and foreigners and maintain employment in the key manufacturing and export sectors for over 3 million jobs.
As of September 8, 2021, the results of the first phase of the project show that 35 workplaces have been screened for COVID-19 comprising 79,223 insured persons. The project has provided vaccinations at 20 establishments for a total of 26,141 insured persons. Nonthaburi is one of the pilot provinces of the “Factory Sandbox” project, with 11 establishments participating, with a total of 9,824 insured people. Six establishments implemented screening for 3,811 insured persons, whereby 178 people were found with infection and sent for treatment according to public health measures.
+++++++++++++
Division of Public Relations
10 September 2021
