Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin reported that the Prime Minister is concerned about the Israeli-Palestinian unrest. The fighting in Gaza caused one Thai worker to be injured by the blast. He instructed relevant agencies to ensure that workers receive entitled benefits and immediately inform relatives of their care and assistance.
On May 15, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin spoke about the unrest in Israel – Palestine from the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha are concerned about the situation and the impact on Thai workers traveling to work in Israel. The Ministry of Labour, under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, was recently notified by the Labour Department at the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv that Mr. Sitthichok Namam, 24, a resident from Udon Thani, is a Thai worker who traveled to work in Israel since June 25, 2017. He was injured in the blast from the Hamas attack on May 11, 2021. The employer sent Mr. Sittichok for treatment at Soroka, Beer Sheva, using health insurance. Right now, he is safe.
Mr. Suchart said that he had assigned the Labour Office, whereby the Labour Department at the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv, has paid a visit and supported him with his benefits, providing a subsidy of 30,000 Baht from the fund to help job seekers to work abroad. The Labour Minister instructed the International Cooperation Bureau to work with agencies under the Ministry of Labour in Udon Thani Province, to visit Mr. Sittichok’s family, to encourage and inform the family of the legal benefits and assistance as well.
Currently, Thailand is allocated a quota of 5,099 Thai workers to work in the agricultural sector of Israel; 3,100 have already traveled for work. The State of Israel sends chartered planes to pick up workers every Thursday at 9.00 am. Approximately 250 people travel to work in Israel every week. The cost of the round-trip airfare and other expenses is approximately 50,000 Baht per person. The employment contract is for three years, which can be extended for another two years, for a total of 5 years. The average income is around 45,000 – 50,000 Baht per month.
The Labour Minister also emphasized that Thai workers traveling to work abroad must work legally to be protected. Workers should also apply for membership in the fund to help job seekers work abroad, as they will be taken care of with benefits if they are in danger or encounter problems, like this case. For inquiries, call the Ministry of Labour’s 1506 hotline and press 2 for the Department of Employment.
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Division of Public Relations
15 May 2021
