Thailand facing skills gap; Talent shortage clouds positive employment figures

[paddyjenkins]

All those that pay stamps and tax from their wages, or those who are farming that really are self employed and registered, declaring profit with family members on their books. THESE persons are then classed as working.

Other than this you are unemployed. full stop.

Bar girls and boys throughout Thailand, not actually paying tax although working from a bar. unemployed full stop

There are ???????/ that do not contribute- therefore unemployed

These figure about near zero unemployment BS, all the men under retirement age and women laid down sleeping most of the day. Waiting for monies sent from kids working away.

For me there are no hidden or in between stats, what can't speak can't lie. if you do not pay tax /stamps whatever system --YOU are UNEMPLOYED. no excuses. This then to my mind is the foolproof way to say who is employed.

You are free to think whatever you like as you are not and would not be qualified to work as an economist or government statistician, but the plain fact is that employment is defined as exchange of labour for payments, as opposed to those who pay tax. So all the bar girls and boys who you say are not employed, are in fact doing a job and are employed, whether that makes the statistics harder or not is irrelevant.

So as you say it's "Labour for payments " is it ????

I take it then if a rural worker cuts a tree down for 200 bht then goes home --he is then employed, family members that HELP to get in rice earn a roof over their head, a little pocket money, and sticky rice are employed. All the rural ladies that sit around half a day get money through the post office from the bar worker away-is not unemployed ???

I can accept how it's worked here but only for one end---to produce good figures to the international community. TAT stats come to mind,

AOT.... can name so so many manipulated/favourable stats.

its quite simple, a person is employed if they provide their labour in exchange for payment, on a reasonably regular basis. being employed isn't defined as a person who pays tax/stamps on a somewhat regular basis. if a family business uses its family members to do odd jobs and in exchange pays them in kind then that is still employment. in the US the payroll figures are published every month and those figures are based on a survey of employers, who are asked how many people are on their payroll. it isn't the tax office that are asked "how many people are paying tax"...measuring the numbers of employed or unemployed is actually not straightforward in any country, especially in one like thailand where a lot is done off the books. but just because a person is off the books doesn't mean they are unemployed.

Edited November 29, 2013 by paddyjenkins

[Thait Spot]

 

 

All those that pay stamps and tax from their wages, or those who are farming that really are self employed and registered, declaring profit with family members on their books. THESE persons are then classed as working.

Other than this you are unemployed. full stop.

Bar girls and boys throughout Thailand, not actually paying tax although working from a bar. unemployed full stop

There are ???????/ that do not contribute- therefore unemployed

These figure about near zero unemployment BS, all the men under retirement age and women laid down sleeping most of the day. Waiting for monies sent from kids working away.

For me there are no hidden or in between stats, what can't speak can't lie. if you do not pay tax /stamps whatever system --YOU are UNEMPLOYED. no excuses. This then to my mind is the foolproof way to say who is employed.

You are free to think whatever you like as you are not and would not be qualified to work as an economist or government statistician, but the plain fact is that employment is defined as exchange of labour for payments, as opposed to those who pay tax. So all the bar girls and boys who you say are not employed, are in fact doing a job and are employed, whether that makes the statistics harder or not is irrelevant.

 

 

So as you say it's  "Labour for payments " is it ????

 I take it then if a rural worker cuts a tree down for 200 bht then goes home --he is then employed,  family members that HELP to get in rice earn a roof over their head, a little pocket money, and sticky rice are employed.   All the rural ladies that sit around half a day get money through the post office from the bar worker away-is not unemployed ???

 

I can accept how it's worked here but only for one end---to produce good figures to the international community.  TAT stats come to mind,

AOT.... can name so so many manipulated/favourable stats.

 

 

its quite simple, a person is employed if they provide their labour in exchange for payment, on a reasonably regular basis. being employed isn't defined as a person who pays tax/stamps on a somewhat regular basis. if a family business uses its family members to do odd jobs and in exchange pays them in kind then that is still employment. in the US the payroll figures are published every month and those figures are based on a survey of employers, who are asked how many people are on their payroll. it isn't the tax office that are asked "how many people are paying tax"...measuring the numbers of employed or unemployed is actually not straightforward in any country, especially in one like thailand where a lot is done off the books. but just because a person is off the books doesn't mean they are unemployed.

That's being way way too logical.

Unemployment here means being recorded as unemployed and that means meeting all the criteria for the payments until the period lapses

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ginjag]

All those that pay stamps and tax from their wages, or those who are farming that really are self employed and registered, declaring profit with family members on their books. THESE persons are then classed as working.

Other than this you are unemployed. full stop.

Bar girls and boys throughout Thailand, not actually paying tax although working from a bar. unemployed full stop

There are ???????/ that do not contribute- therefore unemployed

These figure about near zero unemployment BS, all the men under retirement age and women laid down sleeping most of the day. Waiting for monies sent from kids working away.

For me there are no hidden or in between stats, what can't speak can't lie. if you do not pay tax /stamps whatever system --YOU are UNEMPLOYED. no excuses. This then to my mind is the foolproof way to say who is employed.

You are free to think whatever you like as you are not and would not be qualified to work as an economist or government statistician, but the plain fact is that employment is defined as exchange of labour for payments, as opposed to those who pay tax. So all the bar girls and boys who you say are not employed, are in fact doing a job and are employed, whether that makes the statistics harder or not is irrelevant.

So as you say it's "Labour for payments " is it ????

I take it then if a rural worker cuts a tree down for 200 bht then goes home --he is then employed, family members that HELP to get in rice earn a roof over their head, a little pocket money, and sticky rice are employed. All the rural ladies that sit around half a day get money through the post office from the bar worker away-is not unemployed ???

I can accept how it's worked here but only for one end---to produce good figures to the international community. TAT stats come to mind,

AOT.... can name so so many manipulated/favourable stats.

its quite simple, a person is employed if they provide their labour in exchange for payment, on a reasonably regular basis. being employed isn't defined as a person who pays tax/stamps on a somewhat regular basis. if a family business uses its family members to do odd jobs and in exchange pays them in kind then that is still employment. in the US the payroll figures are published every month and those figures are based on a survey of employers, who are asked how many people are on their payroll. it isn't the tax office that are asked "how many people are paying tax"...measuring the numbers of employed or unemployed is actually not straightforward in any country, especially in one like thailand where a lot is done off the books. but just because a person is off the books doesn't mean they are unemployed.

No problem with what you say, here it is the way, BUT to my way of thinking it should not be so. How much money in this Kingdom is unaccounted ?? Sorry but to me everyone should be on THE BOOKS. no excuse for anyone to hide behind.

This style -black market- the way the government is working things it is the same, conceal it, not accountable, maybe the country can get a grip come clean it'self and then start to make everyone that you say are technically EMPLOYED start to give.

So I suppose a survey in Thailand asks to all the people who earn money, who are on your payroll ?????

So it's quite simple, a person is classed as employed if they receive payment for labour--as you say--that's FINE--but again you are robbing the state if you do NOT pay a per/cent of that money earned.

My personal view. It is not my government, if it was I would collect any money due, (as in the UK) up and above your normal work most people earn a bit of pocket money on the side. Unemployment money can be got if you sign on as you have no work.

[Mudcrab]

Just read some of the Thai adverts, most places need qualified and with 2 + years experienced candidates... so if there just out of Uni and qualified they lack the in field experience...

Then is the next problem they are qualified and experienced is the age.. so many say max age is 30 - 35.. Guess if your over that age your overqualified ?

And exactly the same in Oz. Want qualifications plus experience...hard to find a job when you have just got the qualification but no experience. Or have the qualification and experience but are deemed too old.

[Ulic]

65 million people and they can't find suitable workers.....says a lot!!

It's a sad case when engineers, IT and many other professionals are completing university....getting their Batchelor Degree.... but cannot find employment because in many instances, they are not suitably qualified!

A contractor I know needed employees......one question he put to them: How many Centimetres in a Metre......of 12 applicants....none had the correct answer.....9 had degrees!

100, do I get the job?

[ginjag]

65 million people and they can't find suitable workers.....says a lot!!

It's a sad case when engineers, IT and many other professionals are completing university....getting their Batchelor Degree.... but cannot find employment because in many instances, they are not suitably qualified!

A contractor I know needed employees......one question he put to them: How many Centimetres in a Metre......of 12 applicants....none had the correct answer.....9 had degrees!

100, do I get the job?

You got it, But Please tell me what is the name of the highest mountain in Russia. No looking it up. then you qualify

[robsamui]

65 million people and they can't find suitable workers.....says a lot!!

It's a sad case when engineers, IT and many other professionals are completing university....getting their Batchelor Degree.... but cannot find employment because in many instances, they are not suitably qualified!

A contractor I know needed employees......one question he put to them: How many Centimetres in a Metre......of 12 applicants....none had the correct answer.....9 had degrees!

It's the Thai microcosm again.

Thai people only compare and contrast themselves to other Thai people. A couple of years at university gaining a bachelor's degree and they consider themselves to be highly educated.

What they cannot imagine is how they compare to the rest of the world.

Two years ago I met a middle-aged French chemist who previously was a senior team leader, employed by and manufacturing perfume for Dior. He's semi-retired and had come to Thailand because he liked the place. He planned to set up his own business making exclusive top-end spa products. He set up his premises, employed a couple of nongs as gofers and began to make a whole range of product samples. Great success and a volume of orders he couldn't handle by himself.

So he contacted two universities in BKK and the Uni of Songkla also, and arranged to interview around 20 of their best post-grad and research students at MSc level. He was devastated and disillusioned. None of them was suitable, or able to cope with the work he required. He told me that none of them could handle simple three-figure mental arithmetic, and that the level of education they had received was roughly on a par with a 2nd-year European BSc degree student.

Equally alarming was their general awareness and general knowledge and English-speaking ability - although that was not necessary for the job. But, like he said, ". . . apart from his lack of education, how could I ever have faith in the ability of a manufacturing chemist and employ him, if he comes to work with a Band-Aid on his face because he has a toothache, is frightened of ghosts and says prayers to trees!"

I heard later that he had abandoned his project and returned to Europe.

R

[robsamui]

65 million people and they can't find suitable workers.....says a lot!!

It's a sad case when engineers, IT and many other professionals are completing university....getting their Batchelor Degree.... but cannot find employment because in many instances, they are not suitably qualified!

A contractor I know needed employees......one question he put to them: How many Centimetres in a Metre......of 12 applicants....none had the correct answer.....9 had degrees!

100, do I get the job?

You got it, But Please tell me what is the name of the highest mountain in Russia. No looking it up. then you qualify

erm . . . and what job would that qualify me for . . . ?

R

[ginjag]

65 million people and they can't find suitable workers.....says a lot!!

It's a sad case when engineers, IT and many other professionals are completing university....getting their Batchelor Degree.... but cannot find employment because in many instances, they are not suitably qualified!

A contractor I know needed employees......one question he put to them: How many Centimetres in a Metre......of 12 applicants....none had the correct answer.....9 had degrees!

100, do I get the job?

You got it, But Please tell me what is the name of the highest mountain in Russia. No looking it up. then you qualify

erm . . . and what job would that qualify me for . . . ?

R

Maybe only with TAT, because of your general knowledge. They are short of these types of people.

Here in general if you have a degree your IN. but if you had to do a test before being employed near all would fail. A little money and your paper your employed, this being the problem here most people have positions in authority and have no General knowledge/basics.

Ask most persons here -/ world/geography/ questions, they are lost.

[weegee]

Just read some of the Thai adverts, most places need qualified and with 2 + years experienced candidates... so if there just out of Uni and qualified they lack the in field experience...

Then is the next problem they are qualified and experienced is the age.. so many say max age is 30 - 35.. Guess if your over that age your overqualified ?

And that's what happened in Australia........Guess the saying, Thailand 30yrs behind is correct...

[SjaakNL2013]

How come I am not surprised.... after years of "don't lose face, you get passed" policy in most schools and universities Thailand now get the bill presented for it.

Also the education miss every form of reality. All out books, copy the board and there is no need to pass exams or test mentality and a teachers force that still try to get interested students with 1960 lessons is asking for problems.

[TheNativeSon]

When A.S.E.A.N. officially kicks in, the Thai workforce will have other Asian (English speaking-highly skilled technician) "farangs" to compete against. The Thais have my deepest sympathy, in advance