Nearly A Million Thais Jobless

[george]

Nearly a million jobless

BANGKOK: -- The National Statistics Office yesterday said the country now has 920,000 unemployed people, a large portion of whom hold bachelor’s degrees.

Out of a total population of 65.15 million, about 35.27 million Thais are of working age, according to a survey conducted in May. About 33.75 million are employed, an increase of 750,000 from a year earlier.

About 490,000 men and 430,000 women are out of work, the survey concluded, of whom 240,000 hold bachelor’s degrees, while 200,000 got as far as sixth grade.

Around 310,000 people have never worked before, while 610,000 have previous work experience, 200,000 of them in the agricultural sector.

--The Nation 2004-07-01

[MadFrankie]

lol.. so sitting around all day drinking whiskey is a job now? I find that hard to belive

[NedKelly]

These sort of stats dont mean a great deal in a place like Thailand. Actually the jobless could be seen as quite low anyway compared to other countries.

The house next to mine in Bangkok is home to one young 20 ish girl whom has not worked a minute in the two years I have been next door. And across fromme the young guy has never worked either......they both have degrees, but will not do just any job........it has to be a good job and pay to match........better to stay home waiting for someone to tap them on the shoulder and tell them they can have a sweet job ....like magic.

Its part of the same mentality that has several nearby houses sitting idle with no occupants for the two years as well.......such a waste.

[Begs]

lol.. so sitting around all day drinking whiskey is a job now? I find that hard to belive

If sitting around drinking, was a Job................... most farangs woud need work permits.

[Martin]

It seems to me that we have a cultural difference showing up again. The urge/drive/phobia? to have a job is a Western thing, indoctrinated into us from childhood onwards.

But it isn't there in a culture where one of the ideal states is 'mai me arai', or 'there's nothing happening'.

We had it dinned into us "Don't just sit there: do something, stupid"----and often we act as if that last comma wasn't there!

I sometimes wonder if this cultural thing is a response to climate. Not pressing on in spring, summer and autumn would mean winter starvation in Northern climes. But close to the equator there is always 'wild' food to be had, and so there is not the need to push oneself to action incessantly.

I used to wonder at the willingness of young Thais to graduate and not have a job and not be uptight about it, and think to myself "Have they no pride?". But now I am not so sure that it is me that was right and them that were wrong.

[Nam Kao]

There is only one person on my soi that works, he is english teacher (thai)

that cannot speak more than 10 words of english max, thats his job and

everyone thinks he is a great englit teacher

[maerim]

he is a great englit teacher

I'm sure he is worth every baht paid as well, do you know how much he would get paid for teaching English?

[MadFrankie]

he is a great englit teacher

I'm sure he is worth every baht paid as well, do you know how much he would get paid for teaching English?

too much probably, if he learnt how to speak english properly he would earn a half decent salary like a lot of the top thai english teachers do

[chingy_]

most of the graduate with degree live at home with their parent, there are no bill to pay, they just live off of their parent, if its not the right job positon they would not take it.

[Nam Kao]

I remember he makes 8000 bt/mo, he was considered the richest guy around

til the "falang yai baht" showed up

[Padkapow Guy]

lol.. so sitting around all day drinking whiskey is a job now?  I find that hard to belive 

If sitting around drinking, was a Job................... most farangs woud need work permits.

lol.. so sitting around all day drinking whiskey is a job now?  I find that hard to belive 

If sitting around drinking, was a Job................... most farangs woud need work permits.

Does this mean I would need a work permit on vacation.

[eyespan]

How did they get this statistic? Considering that I still hear of people having ID problems..... tch tch tch.

In economics to qualify for jobless, you got to be

1) capable of working

2) actively seeking a job

3) unsuccessful so far

A housewife is NOT JOBLESS. What about BGs, they don't pay tax, So they don't show up in statistics and there must thousands of them.

[Begs]

It seems to me that we have a cultural difference showing up again. The urge/drive/phobia? to have a job is a Western thing, indoctrinated into us from childhood onwards.

But it isn't there in a culture where one of the ideal states is 'mai me arai', or 'there's nothing happening'.

We had it dinned into us "Don't just sit there: do something, stupid"----and often we act as if that last comma wasn't there!

I sometimes wonder if this cultural thing is a response to climate. Not pressing on in spring, summer and autumn would mean winter starvation in Northern climes. But close to the equator there is always 'wild' food to be had, and so there is not the need to push oneself to action incessantly.

I used to wonder at the willingness of young Thais to graduate and not have a job and not be uptight about it, and think to myself "Have they no pride?". But now I am not so sure that it is me that was right and them that were wrong.

Insightful View...I think you are right also.

Many people from the west just cannot understand any other culture than their own. Of course they THINK that what has been drummed into them from an early age, is right for the rest of mankind.

Just don't work that way.

[Snapshot]

It is estimated that there are around 1 Million illegal Burmese, Cambodian

and Laotians working in Thailand.

They do all the "dirty" jobs that the Thai's now don't want to do, i.e in the fishing industry, rubber plantations, other agriculture and in the low-paid textile sector.

[NedKelly]

Martin -I sometimes wonder if this cultural thing is a response to climate. Not pressing on in spring, summer and autumn would mean winter starvation in Northern climes. But close to the equator there is always 'wild' food to be had, and so there is not the need to push oneself to action incessantly. 

I remember a documentary about different types of chimpanzees........one group lived by gathering food in the trees and for various reasons ddid not come down to the ground much. At times food was scarce and chimps would fight over areas and food.

The other group lived in an area with no natural predators and on the ground there was lots of food year round. So these chimps did not have a need to go looking for food so much as it was readily available. Anyway this group would spend its time together grooming and lying about having sex all the time. Life was sweet.

The difference between the groups was that the first group lived a life of violence and intimidation. the second group were the hippies who had no need to fight as all was shared,......food, sex responsibilities etc........reflect on this a while and think what the human race could be like if all had equal access to resources.

[Dutchy2]

Nearly a million jobless

BANGKOK: -- The National Statistics Office yesterday said the country now has 920,000 unemployed people, a large portion of whom hold bachelor’s degrees.

Out of a total population of 65.15 million, about 35.27 million Thais are of working age, according to a survey conducted in May. About 33.75 million are employed, an increase of 750,000 from a year earlier.

About 490,000 men and 430,000 women are out of work, the survey concluded, of whom 240,000 hold bachelor’s degrees, while 200,000 got as far as sixth grade.

Around 310,000 people have never worked before, while 610,000 have previous work experience, 200,000 of them in the agricultural sector.

--The Nation 2004-07-01

Thailand is known for producing unrealistic statistics according to the UN. There are no benefits for registering when being jobless, Thailand's official figure has always been lower than western countries. Of course, Thailand would do better then the west. The bi annual report in the bangkok post said that 10% of Thailand's population still lives below the poverty line. There are globally two poverty lines, one below 1$ and the other one below 2$ a day. These are serious issues but in Thailand unfortunatly not serious enough when foreign football teams offer a share in their organizations.

The fact that supposedly 240,000 people hold bachelor degrees is not relevant at all. Even secretaries are required to have a university degree in Thailand whereas Europe doesn't require academic qualifications for lower scaled staff. I have been involved in overseas recruitment of Thai nationals and headquarters stated that a bachelor degree in Thailand will not be considered as a bachelor degree. Even a Chulalongkorn qualification in Thailand does not prevent people from choosing usernames on message boards from the seedier part of Thai life. (What does he mean with that?) That says enough about degrees in Thailand.

I know several Thais who do not work but enjoy a life of luxury, some retired already with 40 years. There's absolutely no registration whatsoever... I find it amazing that Thailand produces statistics after a survey as this is a big economical factor....

[astral]

BANGKOK: -- The National Statistics Office yesterday said the country now has 920,000 unemployed people, a large portion of whom hold bachelor?s degrees.

That is just the ones they surveyed.

What about all the rest, who are poorly educated but cannot get a job?

No high school certificate........ no job!!

[davethailand]

Are new motorbikes and large supplies of whiskey un-employment benefits here?

[itsme]

about 35.27 million Thais are of working age, according to a survey conducted in May.

wow so many bg?

[john b good]

A bachelors degree is a pre-requisite for an "answering the telephone job" in Thailand, so from the numbers not currently working it's clear that there are not enough telephones to go around.

A degree does not even indicate that the person has an IQ higher than that of a "dandy lion" (which the majority don't have)

One only needs look at the head waiter. He's got a PhD (can buy anything if you have money)

And the head waiter is the guy who is spouting forth every day about the fiscal growth in the country.

Try telling the close to one mil jobless that and see what sort of response you get.

[snoophound]

That figure seems extremely low.

I wonder how they guessed this ,given their is no Social Welfare in Thailand.

I reckon its 5 times this.

[Martin]

In terms of the topic's title (i.e. 'How many Thais are jobless?') you are undoubtedly nearer the mark, snoophound.

But, in my reading of the Nation's confused writings, the subject was meant to be 'This many Thais are actively seeking a job'.

And there is a world of difference between the two.

For instance, there is here in Esarn a large category of working age who work very hard, for a few months, to grow rice. Then they eke out the results of their labours over the rest of the year. Where to put them in 'unemployment statistics' is quite a question!.

[NedKelly]

Australia's jobless rate just went up to 5.6%. If Thailand has 1 million jobless it is less than 3% of it's workforce.