Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a draft Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) that will allow Thai workers to take part in Japan’s new Employment for Skill Development (ESD) programme, a scheme designed to improve skills, strengthen worker protection and provide fairer labour rights. The agreement was endorsed on June 2 and authorises the permanent secretary for labour and the director-general of the Department of Employment to sign the deal.
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The ESD system is scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027, as part of Japan’s broader effort to reform the way it recruits foreign workers. The programme is intended to address labour shortages across key sectors while offering foreign workers a clearer route to developing professional skills and accessing higher-skilled employment opportunities.
Under the framework, Thai workers sent to Japan will be able to build occupational skills through three years of work experience. The Thai government said the programme would help participants achieve skills equivalent to Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker No 1 level, providing a pathway to more advanced employment while gaining practical workplace experience.
A key element of the agreement is improved worker protection. Thai employees participating in the programme will receive labour and workplace safety protections under Japanese law on the same basis as Japanese workers, including safeguards against discrimination and unfair treatment. The scheme is also expected to provide greater flexibility than previous arrangements by allowing workers to request transfers or change employers under specified conditions.
The new ESD model will replace Japan’s Technical Intern Training Programme, which has faced criticism in the past. Japan has increasingly relied on foreign labour to offset workforce shortages linked to demographic decline, prompting reforms aimed at improving rights protection and creating a more direct route to skilled-worker status.
The demand for foreign labour continues to grow. Japan’s foreign workforce reached 2.57 million in 2025, surpassing 2.5 million for the first time. The ESD programme is expected to cover up to 426,200 workers during its first two years. Labour shortages have also affected the food-service sector, where approvals under the Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 programme were suspended after the sector approached its 50,000-worker limit.
The Nation reported that the MOC will remain in force for five years and will automatically renew for further five-year periods. Deputy government spokesperson Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed the agreement is not considered a treaty under Section 178 of the Constitution, allowing it to proceed without parliamentary treaty approval.
The government said the agreement would expand overseas employment opportunities for Thai workers, improve welfare and protection standards, and allow participants to return to Thailand with valuable skills that can contribute to national development. Thai authorities and the Thai embassy in Japan are also expected to work together to support workers and their families when returning home at the end of the programme.
Picture courtesy of The Nation
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 4 June 2026