On April 1, 2026, at 10.30 hours – Ms. Trinuch Thienthong, former Minister of Labour, visited the Ministry to pay respects to sacred objects of the Ministry of Labour, including Phra Buddha Suttithammaphobhit, Phra Buddha Chinarat, Chai Mongkhon Shrine, Thao Maha Phrom Thewarit Shrine, and Chao Pho Chin Phromma Shrine, on the occasion of her departure from office. She was joined by Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kotcharak, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Ms. Bubpha Rueangsud, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, Ms. Bunyawee Khaipan, the Ministry of Labour’s Chief Inspector-General, Second Lieutenant Somsak Promdam, Mr. Sibmuenchai Phothisin, the Ministry of Labour’s Inspector-Generals, Mr. Nattawut Phatprayoon, Labour Academic Advisor, senior executives, civil servants, and officials from all departments under the Ministry of Labour, who presented flowers to express appreciation and encouragement.
Ms. Trinuch expressed her gratitude to executives, civil servants, and officials across all sectors for jointly advancing the Ministry’s mission in line with its policies. Many initiatives successfully achieved their targets despite budget and time constraints. During her tenure, she focused on improving the quality of life of Thai workers in all areas, including income, welfare, and job security. Key achievements included the establishment of a task force to study structural reform of the Social Security Office (SSO), accelerating the SSO CORE IT system to be completed by mid-2026, and resolving issues in unemployment compensation payments, enabling transfers to 536,497 insured persons, amounting to THB 1,415,372,249.20, as well as extending unemployment benefits due to border conflict for up to 180 days.
Additional measures included extending work permit processes for migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam to mitigate labour shortages, expanding MOU agreements with new countries, and promoting overseas employment, with 49,506 Thai workers deployed abroad. Domestically, employment promotion through JOB EXPO THAILAND 2026 attracted 119,511 participants, generating over THB 683 million annually, with 3,795 people hired on the spot. Skills development initiatives supported 27,000 job seekers through upskilling and reskilling programs, and provided vocational starter kits worth THB 4,000 each to enable immediate employment.
Ms. Trinuch urged executives and officials to continue implementing policies that benefit the public, guided by the principle that “the workforce is the heart of the nation’s economic engine” and that all Thais must have access to employment as a foundation of life security. She emphasised the importance of working with integrity, transparency, and a people-centered approach, and thanked all sectors for their support in achieving the Ministry of Labour’s goals. Although her term has ended, she affirmed her commitment to continue serving the country in other capacities.
She also conveyed her support to the incoming Minister of Labour, encouraging continued progress in labour policies, improvements of workers’ quality of life, both formal and informal, and the expansion of employment opportunities for Thai citizens. Following this, Ms. Trinuch and her political team met with executives, officials, and the media. Her departure marks a significant transition for the Ministry of Labour, with attention now focused on future policy directions, whether to continue or adjust existing approaches in response to rapidly changing economic conditions, labour market dynamics, global conflicts in the Middle East, rising oil prices, and rising costs of living. These challenges underscore the need to accelerate measures to boost job creation, skills development, and welfare to sustainably strengthen Thailand’s economic resilience.
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Division of Public Relations
