By Natthaphon  Sangpolsit

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - The re-establishing of Thai-Saudi relations after a 30-year hiatus has paved the way for bilateral discussions over many areas, including diplomacy, economy, and labor. The Ministry of Labor is currently drafting an employment agreement under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) system to facilitate the first wave of Thai workers to Saudi Arabia three months from now.

 

Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Boonchob Suthamanaswong said Thais heading to Saudi Arabia for work may only number in the hundreds initially, but this trend is expected to continually rise. He added that wages will range from 25,000 to 100,000 baht per month, with workers in the initial phase to comprise those in the construction industry as well as medical and tourism services -- all of which are in high demand in Saudi Arabia.

 

Thai Overseas Manpower Association Chairperson Aranya Sakulkosol expressed her thanks to the government and the prime minister for successfully restoring relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

 

She added that the development will usher in a golden opportunity for Thai workers who will be able to generate more income for the nation by working abroad. She added that preparations are being made to provide professional training for workers to prepare them for when Saudi Arabia officially approves their entry.

 

People interested in working in Saudi Arabia can get additional details at the website of the Department of Employment, or by making direct inquiries at their provincial employment office. Authorities meanwhile stress that the process is still in the discussions phase and people should avoid falling victim to employment scams currently circulating.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-02-07

 

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To generate more income for the nation ??????????????????

And while the DoE is busy preparing to traffic Thai labour to a country where it's people are well known for abuse of indentured labour who is busy with preparations to provide legal protection and the prevent physical abuse & mental which is guaranteed to happen? This government should be ashamed if itself for seeing it's citizens as a commodity to be sold into slavery.

Going for jobs such as construction, with shortages in Thailand and hiring illegal migrants, to earn a bit more. Way to go Thailand.

35 minutes ago, brommers said:

And while the DoE is busy preparing to traffic Thai labour to a country where it's people are well known for abuse of indentured labour who is busy with preparations to provide legal protection and the prevent physical abuse & mental which is guaranteed to happen? This government should be ashamed if itself for seeing it's citizens as a commodity to be sold into slavery.

Please you are surely no proposing that the traffced people would any legal redress for any damge caused by government decisions to re-enter 21st centruty slavery?
 

Why not send the imported construction workers in Thailand over there and use Thais to do the construction here?

1 minute ago, rwill said:

Why not send the imported construction workers in Thailand over there and use Thais to do the construction here?

Money.

 

Saudi Arabia wants labour.

Many of their traditional sources of labour for the construction, medical, hospitality and domestic services industries have dried up because of their reputation for mistreatment and virtual slavery.

 

Thailand wants to supply it; some people stand to make a very large as mount of money from the business.

 

It really is as simple as that.

1 hour ago, Albert Zweistein said:

To generate more income for the nation ??????????????????

Yep - just like the P.I.

The headline reads like they’re sending cattle to Saudi Arabia 

So human trafficking just became legal in Thailand? Well that's one way to solve the Covid unemployment problem. 

Even that nutter Duterte has pulled Filipino workers out of the abusive Middle East, but Thailand will sell Grandma if the price is right! 

2 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

To generate more income for the nation ??????????????????

You express surprise, why? In almost all cases, Asians who go to work abroad remit their incomes back to their home country to support their families. That's money coming into the nation.

 

38 minutes ago, rwill said:

Why not send the imported construction workers in Thailand over there and use Thais to do the construction here?

Because that doesn't attract money back to the nation as in the answer above. Besides, how can they possibly send foreigners to a foreign land?

This has got to be one heck of a dodgy deal .....

Agency makes  $$$

Airlines make $$$

Saudi makes $$$

Thailand makes $$$

 

the workers will be coerced into atrocious living conditions.

they likely won't receive anything like they were promised.

the Agency will charge them a months salary or possibly more for getting them the job.

the Agency will be taking their percentage every month from every worker.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The Ministry of Labor is currently drafting an employment agreement under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) system to facilitate the first wave of Thai workers to Saudi Arabia three months from now.

Thai labour out Mynamar slave labor in?

I guess the "spare" Thai unemployed are not interested in what Thailands labour shortage has to offer?

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

She added that the development will usher in a golden opportunity for Thai workers who will be able to generate more income for the nation by working abroad.

The governments plan:

Thai unemployed are not interested in working for Thai companies,,, who say they have a labour shortage in many industries.
They don't want to work like slaves, for long hours for a minimum wage.
Better to send them overseas, decrease the Thai unemployment numbers and generate money sent back to Thai families which will in-turn stop them asking for an increase in welfare benefits from the government.

Then draft in migrant slave labour to do the dirty work in Thailand.

Win win for the government.

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The governments plan:

Thai unemployed are not interested in working for Thai companies,,, who say they have a labour shortage in many industries.
They don't want to work like slaves, for long hours for a minimum wage.
Better to send them overseas, decrease the Thai unemployment numbers and generate money sent back to Thai families which will in-turn stop them asking for an increase in welfare benefits from the government.

Then draft in migrant slave labour to do the dirty work in Thailand.

Win win for the government.

Sad thing is you are probably correct

Something tells me this is going to be an absolute shi*show.

The phooyai's in charge are going to want a big fat cut of the pie,

for which the Saudi's will happily oblige and ultimately,

it's the Thai laborer who will get reamed and exploited to no end.

 

Poor working/living conditions - check

Passport confiscated - check

Treated like dirt - check

Paying huge "commissions" to middle-men, just to get the job - check

 

Considering how Thailand for the past decades has consistently boasted of a practically "zero" unemployment rate, they surely seem to have suspiciously little difficulties rounding up scores of "skilled" laborers willing to go to Saudi-Arabia.

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that wages will range from 25,000 to 100,000 baht per month, with workers in the initial phase to comprise those in the construction industry

  The Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi construction laborers currently working in Saudi-Arabia will be foaming at the mouth with jealousy when they hear this! But then again, it's a rather wide wage bracket and I presume that even for all those skilled Thai workers to be flooding into Saudi soon, the factual net payout is going to be much much closer to the lower-end figure. 

Please will someone warn them never to give up their passports.

38 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Please will someone warn them never to give up their passports.

Mostly even in legitimate employment in hospitals, they try hold your passport for safe=keeping, and you have to sign it out to be able to travel during your contract.

 

Press Gangs ?   ''Come E'r Boy and help us with 'Income' whilst you earn the Kings Shilling''  !

1 hour ago, DefaultName said:

Please will someone warn them never to give up their passports.

sorry,  upon entering Saudi everyone will hand over their passport and receive what's called an ' iqama '  .....

I just dont get it, thai,s in saudi unless skilled and qualified but I think the general wont care who or what happens to them.

At a time when some economies who are reopening can experience full employment and supply constrants he plans to send them away what an idiot...

 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/25/saudi-arabia-labor-reforms-insufficient

47 minutes ago, tomyami said:

I just dont get it, thai,s in saudi unless skilled and qualified but I think the general wont care who or what happens to them.

At a time when some economies who are reopening can experience full employment and supply constrants he plans to send them away what an idiot...

 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/25/saudi-arabia-labor-reforms-insufficient

No one evr said he was smart, cunning, manipulaive, thuggish,  yes smart never heard that one in same sentence as his name

16 hours ago, Moonlover said:

You express surprise, why? In almost all cases, Asians who go to work abroad remit their incomes back to their home country to support their families. That's money coming into the nation.

 

Because that doesn't attract money back to the nation as in the answer above. Besides, how can they possibly send foreigners to a foreign land?

It says money FOR the nation not coming INTO the nation.

9 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

It says money FOR the nation not coming INTO the nation.

How else can it be 'for the nation' unless it comes 'into the nation?' Many countries in the developing world are eager to see their nationals working abroad and remitting their salaries back home, for this very reason.

On 2/7/2022 at 12:01 PM, steven100 said:

sorry,  upon entering Saudi everyone will hand over their passport and receive what's called an ' iqama '  .....

You retain your pp even when having an iqama.

"....tourism services".

 

Well, the hookers in BAH are mostly Thai. Expanding the market, it would seem. There is hardly any proper tourism industry, and Saudiization would prevent any foreign workers being employed in entry-level workforce environments. Also, Thais don't speak Arabic and next to no English. That leaves only horizontal body language.

They better supply those workers with 2 passports 1 to get in and the other to get out

16 hours ago, Moonlover said:

How else can it be 'for the nation' unless it comes 'into the nation?' Many countries in the developing world are eager to see their nationals working abroad and remitting their salaries back home, for this very reason.

I think the abroad working nationals are doing this for their families and are not concerned about their nation.

I don't get it... I was made to believe that Cambodians, Laotian, and Myanmar workers came to Thailand as as there was a shortage of Thai workers,, yet Thailand is sending work force to the Middle East,, the mind boggles..