New Govt Committee To Study Thailand's Labour Shortage Issues

[webfact]

New govt committee to study country's labour shortage issues
Wannapa Khaopa
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As a large workforce is needed to drive the government's mega-projects and the country's growing industrial sector, the authorities have started working on the output of workers to keep pace with the rising demand, Prof Pavich Tongroach, adviser to the education minister, said.

An ad hoc committee is being formed to improve the quality and quantity of workers, Pavich told The Nation after a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and relevant agencies. It is believed that Pavich will chair the committee.

Yesterday's meeting, which was hosted by the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), focused on education as well as manpower production and development.

"Some 500,000 workers are expected to be hired for the government's Bt2-trillion infrastructure projects and about 100,000 for its Bt350-billion water-management projects," he said. "Also, other industries, such as automobiles, are growing fast."

Thailand has been facing a shortage of quality workers, especially in the scientific and technical fields.

"The prime minister is concerned about the quality and quantity of manpower as they do not meet the industry's demand," Pavich said.

Hence, he added, the committee's urgent mission was to study the country's workforce demand and set up a production plan that corresponds to the immediate demands. Its long-term mission would focus on the education system, ensuring that it produces a quality workforce.

Pavich said officials from the Higher Education Commission, Vocational Education Commission, Basic Education Commission, NESDB, and the Transport and Industry ministries would work together in the committee to look into the country's demand for labour and supply.

"Next month, the committee will hold a meeting with the PM and show her how demand and supply of the workforce can be matched," he said. "We should separate students and workers into technological and non-technological groups and make the data updated and accurate."


-- The Nation 2013-04-06

[lemoncake]

So most likely Burmese and Cambodians will be hired.

Or work contracted to company's who will have no choice but to bring Burmese and Cambodians.

They could always force half of unemployed Isaan to work but that would be against human rights etc

[arthurboy]

An ad hoc committee is being formed to improve the quality and quantity of workers, Pavich told The Nation after a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and relevant agencies. It is believed that Pavich will chair the committee.

A complete crock of sh@t.

In the last few months we have had endless articles on the abysmal state of education in Thailand.

And now yet another education expert has been appointed to 'hold a meeting with the PM and show her how demand and supply of the workforce can be matched by separating students and workers into technological and non-technological groups and make the data updated and accurate.'

These people are utter, absolute morons. Enjoy your expense account and retainer, Pavich.

[theoldgit]

Racist comment removed.

[OzMick]

Thailand has no shortage of labour. The problem is that most of it is involved in inefficient and uneconomic industries, and subsidies are being paid to maintain that situation. Keep them poor, uneducated, and grateful.

[siampolee]

All this as a result of a seriously flawed education system and of course the very idea that an educated workforce is actually essential to the country's economic development.

The process of improving and educating the work force is a long term project it's not going to happen within a six month deadline, also the employers need to be educated along with the workforce. The employers have to learn that their products are as only as good as the work force can produce with the equipment and resources available to them.,

Modern methods and innovation need to be at the forefront with quality and those two alien concepts to Thai business people, customer service and reliability of delivery dates, all these matters come together and should become the leading factors in this programme, old ideas are fine however they are not the backbone of industrial output.

At the end of the day the most valuable asset a company has is its workforce, sadly though the greater majority of Thai employers fail to recognize that significant factor.

Education of the workforce has to include the employers and of course the government as well to ensure success in this modern world, peasant economies are fine however they are becoming less significant as time passes by.

Edited April 6, 2013 by siampolee

[rfukata]

there are no labor shortages here, able men prefer to stay drunk over working.

[slapout]

Is it possible the Thai, labor force pool, is a mirror of the Thai political pool? They do seem to compliment each other, in thinking, demands, work habits, and their sense of entitlement. They can disappear when they are most in demand, travel vast distences for personal pleasure, spend more than they make, have 10 excuses for a single failure, and ignore those who had trust and depended on them.

Education seems to be the whipping boy of late, 'practical education' seems ignored/overlooked, but seriously are the adjoining countries, who supply so many laborers, that far advanced?

[lemoncake]

Why do not they set up a nation wide job network site or agency, so for example people in Isaan can see jobs in BKK and so on?

There might be thousands of workers sitting on their butts in some villages not even being aware there is work in the near by province paying double to what they could earn in their village.

[NongKhaiKid]

Thailand has no shortage of labour. The problem is that most of it is involved in inefficient and uneconomic industries, and subsidies are being paid to maintain that situation. Keep them poor, uneducated, and grateful.

Some years ago the staff of a school where I taught were shown a video produced for the Thai government by a consultancy and it absolutely shafted the educational system. The bottom line was " far behind other Asian competitors " especially in English and now they have to be ready for 2015. As an old girlfriend said many times " the government does not want us well educated ". She has a BBA which was up to Thai standard, spoke excellent English but knew nothing about much of Thailand far less the outside world

[NongKhaiKid]

Another committee, the greatest way to put something on the back burner.

A committee has been defined as " a group of people who can decide nothing individually and who decide together nothing can be done. " The purpose of a meeting is to decide when the next one will be

[anon467367354]

why don't they let everybody and anybody work if a company wants to hire them? instead of the government setting the standards for work requirements, why not let free enterprise take it's course? How many technically and scientifically inclined people out there don't have some degree or certified technician documentation other than everybody that repairs computers and cell phones?

[seajae]

Technical knowledge in Thailand is very bad, just look at the building and the finish of them, they would be condemed in any other country. .

None of the trades are licensed or even have the knowledge to ensure they do it right, spirit levels are never used, they dont neutralize the lime in the bricks/cement or use a sealer or quality paint so the paint falls of/turns black inside a year, they use the cheapest labour they can find to keep prices down and profits up, pathetic. In my wifes new units a few toilet/shower doors dont open fully because they hit the toilet, the bathroom floors flood because the fall does not go to the drain, half the lights dont work due to the pathetic wiring, only 2 months old and she has already had to replace the water pressure pump, doors are warped and the wood has never been sanded, paint is see through and new furniture is falling apart, it is a joke.

The local water pressure(Surat Thani) is that bad I can p*ss harder than what comes out, it takes 5 hours for me to water my plants where it should take under an hour, I have never seen such bad workers/work ethics. Until the govt allows foreigners to do this sort of work it will remain bad, they keep the workers dumb so they can bullsh*t to them and they believe it , they do it so that no one has the knowledge to challenge them for their jobs. It is high time that schools had to teach properly, my daughter has been told that if she wants to pass her exams she must pay the teacher for after class lessons at the school(she already has out of school ones), it is a total joke and the people let it happen.

[Locationthailand]

It's easier and more profitable (and less work) to be involved in corruption, scams and criminal activities that to work for a living. Perhaps a combination of rule of law and education may help?

[belg]

would be a great time, but sadly only a dream, to make it less difficult for us farang to work here

555

that will never happen

the thai companies will just employ cheap "illegal' labour to keep their profits at a max

[thaicbr]

more emphasis on work training rather than just degrees might go a long way to improving the situation.

[Payboy]

No amount of labour is enough when it's a full time job, just converting oxygen to carbon dioxide.

[TommyUK1960]

If they up the pay to 300 baht per hour. They would have plenty of workers.

300 bhat a day is slave labour

[Bluespunk]

If they up the pay to 300 baht per hour. They would have plenty of workers.

300 bhat a day is slave labour

I do not like, trust or respect the current govt, however the minimum wage is something they are right about. If we want workers who are prepared to do a good job then they need an incentive. A decent wage would give them this and might stop many of them trying to drown their misery in alcohol.

[Thai at Heart]

I await the stories of 500k of foreign labor being imported for government projects getting less than 300 a day.

In fact i wonder if 300 has been budgeted and audited into the quotes. But what a sad joke when considering a huge percentage of these funds will be expatriated to neighbouring countries.

It should be completely prohibited to hire foreign daily labor for government projects anyway.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[whybother]

If they up the pay to 300 baht per hour. They would have plenty of workers.

300 bhat a day is slave labour

I do not like, trust or respect the current govt, however the minimum wage is something they are right about. If we want workers who are prepared to do a good job then they need an incentive. A decent wage would give them this and might stop many of them trying to drown their misery in alcohol.

There is no incentive for the employee to do a good job when the employer is forced to pay 300 baht.

[dcutman]

ALL these planned infrastructure projects are going to require an additional 600,000 workers, mostly labor? I am sure all very well thought out by this govt. but there are keeping this plan a secret.

With the rise in the minimum wage in Bangkok and nearby provinces since
April 2012, construction labour became not only scarce but expensive.
And now that the higher minimum wage has been imposed nationwide since
the beginning of 2013, the labour shortage crisis has gone wild and is
getting out of control.

This is the worst labour shortage crisis in 52 years since the home-building
business was introduced in Thailand. Without a clear solution from the
government, consumers will eventually either have to bear the brunt of
higher construction costs or experience delays in the delivery of their
houses. http://www.pattayapropertynews.com/property-news/thailand-property-news/thailand-construction-labour-shortage-crisis-without-a-clear-solution-from-thai-government

Statistical information from The National Statistical Office indicates that there is a shortage of some 300,000 laborers. http://www.pattaya-house.com/Thailand-Property-News/thailand-property-labor-shortages-for-the-construction-industry

BANGKOK, Oct 23 - Thailand's construction
industry is now facing labour shortage resulting in stagnancy of new
projects, according to the Construction Institute of Thailand.

The institute director Chakporn Oonjitt said the construction

industry cannot expand or begin new projects due to a severe labour
shortage, particularly in housing development projects. http://www.pattayamail.com/business/construction-industry-faces-labour-shortage-17703

Edited April 7, 2013 by dcutman

[rametindallas]

If they up the pay to 300 baht per hour. They would have plenty of workers.

300 bhat a day is slave labour

I do not like, trust or respect the current govt, however the minimum wage is something they are right about. If we want workers who are prepared to do a good job then they need an incentive. A decent wage would give them this and might stop many of them trying to drown their misery in alcohol.

Where is the incentive to improve work skills when the government guarantees the pay scale? Guaranteeing more pay will cause Thai workers to improve their work skills? 555555555. I've worked unskilled, fake documented, straight-from-the-country Mexicans with more work skills than I witness in Thailand; for whatever the reason.

[Thai at Heart]

ALL these planned infrastructure projects are going to require an additional 600,000 workers, mostly labor? I am sure all very well thought out by this govt. but there are keeping this plan a secret.

With the rise in the minimum wage in Bangkok and nearby provinces since

April 2012, construction labour became not only scarce but expensive.

And now that the higher minimum wage has been imposed nationwide since

the beginning of 2013, the labour shortage crisis has gone wild and is

getting out of control.

This is the worst labour shortage crisis in 52 years since the home-building

business was introduced in Thailand. Without a clear solution from the

government, consumers will eventually either have to bear the brunt of

higher construction costs or experience delays in the delivery of their

houses. http://www.pattayapropertynews.com/property-news/thailand-property-news/thailand-construction-labour-shortage-crisis-without-a-clear-solution-from-thai-government

Statistical information from The National Statistical Office indicates that there is a shortage of some 300,000 laborers. http://www.pattaya-house.com/Thailand-Property-News/thailand-property-labor-shortages-for-the-construction-industry

BANGKOK, Oct 23 - Thailand's construction

industry is now facing labour shortage resulting in stagnancy of new

projects, according to the Construction Institute of Thailand.

The institute director Chakporn Oonjitt said the construction

industry cannot expand or begin new projects due to a severe labour

shortage, particularly in housing development projects. http://www.pattayamail.com/business/construction-industry-faces-labour-shortage-17703

Interesting logic. 300 baht caused everyone to disappear. There wasn't a chronic shortage before so where did everyone go? Apparently thousands lost their jobs.

How can 300 magically reduce the supply of labor? Surely it should actually increase.

[rametindallas]

Unemployment Rate in Thailand increased to 0.83 percent in January of 2013 from 0.48 percent in December of 2012.

Source:http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/unemployment-rate Another website has it at 0.7 percent. There are not 600,000 workers, skilled or unskilled, available to government contractors to do these megaprojects. The Thai economy is overheated as it is. My Thai friend is trying to convert his guesthouse to apartments and has only found three qualified worker over the last year. Thai companies cannot grow without labor and now the government wants to compete with private enterprise for labor. If you support the government being the source of all jobs and benefits, you will like these megaprojects but if you like free enterprise, this if very bad.

[Thai at Heart]

Unemployment Rate in Thailand increased to 0.83 percent in January of 2013 from 0.48 percent in December of 2012.

Source:http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/unemployment-rate Another website has it at 0.7 percent. There are not 600,000 workers, skilled or unskilled, available to government contractors to do these megaprojects. The Thai economy is overheated as it is. My Thai friend is trying to convert his guesthouse to apartments and has only found three qualified worker over the last year. Thai companies cannot grow without labor and now the government wants to compete with private enterprise for labor. If you support the government being the source of all jobs and benefits, you will like these megaprojects but if you like free enterprise, this if very bad.

So the issue is a huge jump in demand for construction labor not some magical reduction in supply of people caused by 300 per day.

[thaicbr]

Unemployment Rate in Thailand increased to 0.83 percent in January of 2013 from 0.48 percent in December of 2012.

Source:http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/unemployment-rate Another website has it at 0.7 percent. There are not 600,000 workers, skilled or unskilled, available to government contractors to do these megaprojects. The Thai economy is overheated as it is. My Thai friend is trying to convert his guesthouse to apartments and has only found three qualified worker over the last year. Thai companies cannot grow without labor and now the government wants to compete with private enterprise for labor. If you support the government being the source of all jobs and benefits, you will like these megaprojects but if you like free enterprise, this if very bad.

So the issue is a huge jump in demand for construction labor not some magical reduction in supply of people caused by 300 per day.

The issue is getting more Thai men / teenagers to actually have a work ethic. To actually want to work to provide for their families. Most if not all of the girls/woman have it. But how many times do you see the men sitting around doing nothing up and down the country.

also making the training mean something so that they can be proud of the work they do.

This country with its attitude to education and the all encompassing bachelors degree is actually destroying its own future worker base.

If that's even possible!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[Thai at Heart]

Unemployment Rate in Thailand increased to 0.83 percent in January of 2013 from 0.48 percent in December of 2012.

Source:http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/unemployment-rate Another website has it at 0.7 percent. There are not 600,000 workers, skilled or unskilled, available to government contractors to do these megaprojects. The Thai economy is overheated as it is. My Thai friend is trying to convert his guesthouse to apartments and has only found three qualified worker over the last year. Thai companies cannot grow without labor and now the government wants to compete with private enterprise for labor. If you support the government being the source of all jobs and benefits, you will like these megaprojects but if you like free enterprise, this if very bad.

So the issue is a huge jump in demand for construction labor not some magical reduction in supply of people caused by 300 per day.

The issue is getting more Thai men / teenagers to actually have a work ethic. To actually want to work to provide for their families. Most if not all of the girls/woman have it. But how many times do you see the men sitting around doing nothing up and down the country.

also making the training mean something so that they can be proud of the work they do.

This country with its attitude to education and the all encompassing bachelors degree is actually destroying its own future worker base.

If that's even possible!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

That is a valid issue separate from 300. This claim that 300 caused a shortage makes no sense. Some lost their jobs so supply went up. More should be willing to work at 300.

This is more about a mismatch in labor skills. They want basic construction labor but there isn't enough. But then are construction labor as we classify qualified tradesmen in the rest of the world remotely similar. I would say of so called construction workers in Thailand 10% are "qualified".

As for graduates, well, the quality is spotty at best.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[dcutman]

ALL these planned infrastructure projects are going to require an additional 600,000 workers, mostly labor? I am sure all very well thought out by this govt. but there are keeping this plan a secret.

With the rise in the minimum wage in Bangkok and nearby provinces since

April 2012, construction labour became not only scarce but expensive.

And now that the higher minimum wage has been imposed nationwide since

the beginning of 2013, the labour shortage crisis has gone wild and is

getting out of control.

This is the worst labour shortage crisis in 52 years since the home-building

business was introduced in Thailand. Without a clear solution from the

government, consumers will eventually either have to bear the brunt of

higher construction costs or experience delays in the delivery of their

houses. http://www.pattayapropertynews.com/property-news/thailand-property-news/thailand-construction-labour-shortage-crisis-without-a-clear-solution-from-thai-government

Statistical information from The National Statistical Office indicates that there is a shortage of some 300,000 laborers. http://www.pattaya-house.com/Thailand-Property-News/thailand-property-labor-shortages-for-the-construction-industry

BANGKOK, Oct 23 - Thailand's construction

industry is now facing labour shortage resulting in stagnancy of new

projects, according to the Construction Institute of Thailand.

The institute director Chakporn Oonjitt said the construction

industry cannot expand or begin new projects due to a severe labour

shortage, particularly in housing development projects. http://www.pattayamail.com/business/construction-industry-faces-labour-shortage-17703

Interesting logic. 300 baht caused everyone to disappear. There wasn't a chronic shortage before so where did everyone go? Apparently thousands lost their jobs.

How can 300 magically reduce the supply of labor? Surely it should actually increase.

Could Possibly they moved away from construction into other less physical demanding industries, that didnt pay as well before. But I believe the main reason is the fact that there is so much building going on, wherever you look there is something getting built. There is just isnt enough bodies to go around.

During the floods in 2011 many migrant workers returned to their countries and never came back because those countries are booming with construction and manufacturing as well. I am not sure, but things could be improving enough in Burma that it does not make sense to seek work in Thailand as much. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/538397-thailand-short-of-construction-workers-after-myanmar-opens-its-country/

Another reason is Thailand and the rest of Asia's population is aging quickly and are unable to remain in construction or simply just are not interested in construction. Many Thai's with good skills are being recruited or actively looking to work in other countries that pay better wages http://www.voanews.com/content/thailands-aging-population-poses-challenges-121509959/167433.html

I am sure there is a whole host of other reasons, contributing to this very real fact.

[Thai at Heart]

ALL these planned infrastructure projects are going to require an additional 600,000 workers, mostly labor? I am sure all very well thought out by this govt. but there are keeping this plan a secret.

With the rise in the minimum wage in Bangkok and nearby provinces since

April 2012, construction labour became not only scarce but expensive.

And now that the higher minimum wage has been imposed nationwide since

the beginning of 2013, the labour shortage crisis has gone wild and is

getting out of control.

This is the worst labour shortage crisis in 52 years since the home-building

business was introduced in Thailand. Without a clear solution from the

government, consumers will eventually either have to bear the brunt of

higher construction costs or experience delays in the delivery of their

houses. http://www.pattayapropertynews.com/property-news/thailand-property-news/thailand-construction-labour-shortage-crisis-without-a-clear-solution-from-thai-government

Statistical information from The National Statistical Office indicates that there is a shortage of some 300,000 laborers. http://www.pattaya-house.com/Thailand-Property-News/thailand-property-labor-shortages-for-the-construction-industry

BANGKOK, Oct 23 - Thailand's construction

industry is now facing labour shortage resulting in stagnancy of new

projects, according to the Construction Institute of Thailand.

The institute director Chakporn Oonjitt said the construction

industry cannot expand or begin new projects due to a severe labour

shortage, particularly in housing development projects. http://www.pattayamail.com/business/construction-industry-faces-labour-shortage-17703

Interesting logic. 300 baht caused everyone to disappear. There wasn't a chronic shortage before so where did everyone go? Apparently thousands lost their jobs.

How can 300 magically reduce the supply of labor? Surely it should actually increase.

Could Possibly they moved away from construction into other less physical demanding industries, that didnt pay as well before. But I believe the main reason is the fact that there is so much building going on, wherever you look there is something getting built. There is just isnt enough bodies to go around.

During the floods in 2011 many migrant workers returned to their countries and never came back because those countries are booming with construction and manufacturing as well. I am not sure, but things could be improving enough in Burma that it does not make sense to seek work in Thailand as much. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/538397-thailand-short-of-construction-workers-after-myanmar-opens-its-country/

Another reason is Thailand and the rest of Asia's population is aging quickly and are unable to remain in construction or simply just are not interested in construction. Many Thai's with good skills are being recruited or actively looking to work in other countries that pay better wages http://www.voanews.com/content/thailands-aging-population-poses-challenges-121509959/167433.html

I am sure there is a whole host of other reasons, contributing to this very real fact.

And it is a lot more complicated than just 300.

If there is such a shortage I wonder how many constructors are offering 400 a day?