PM Prayut calls on laborers to improve their skills

[webfact]

PM calls on laborers to improve their skills



BANGKOK, 2 May 2016 (NNT) – The prime minister has urged all manual workers to improve their skills and prepare for future changes.

On the occasion of the National Labor Day on May 1st, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said he would like to send moral support and good wishes to all laborers in Thailand.

He said Thai workers should develop their abilities and be well-prepared and resilient in the face of all changes that are to come in the future.

Gen Prayut said the government attaches great significance to the improvement of skilled workers and the enhancement of workers’ abilities to generate income.

In reference to migrant labor registration, the prime minister said up to 1.6 million workers from Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Cambodian have been documented since the current government took over the administration.


-- NNT 2016-05-02

[NCC1701A]

I guess on his trips to the USA he had a good look around.

[NongKhaiKid]

Look in the mirror and learn how to run a country that you shouldn't be in charge of anyway.

[Your Thainess]

<deleted>, Royal Thai Army lost its last war. To Laos. Whose skills need improving?

[baboon]

He could have stood there punching the air and bellowing "Power to the Soviets! Bread, peace, freedom!", but it wouldn't matter. What we have here is the personification of everything the working class should be against. A man for whom they are nothing but a commodity. A man who denies them a free and fair vote for a candidate of their choice and plans it to be that way for evermore. It truly is disgusting when you think about it.

[rubl]

Thai labourers are indeed in need of improving their skills especially as neighbouring countries have lower wages. Of course those 1.6 million registered alien labourers form a tremendous challenge as well. Looks like Europe in the 60sh with all import of Spanish, Portugese, Italien and Greek workers for jobs which couldn't be filled will workers from the local population. At least in Europe we did have skill improvements (mostly).

[Pib]

On the occasion of the National Labor Day on May 1st, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said he would like to send moral support and good wishes to all laborers in Thailand.

Moral support and best wishes don't pay bills.

[tbthailand]

says the self-appointed "PM" who has no clue how to run a country...

If you're going to take over by force and have a completely free hand at running the show then you should not be running the country into the ground... Getting that part right is the minimum level of competence required of self-appointed "PM"s.

[rubl]

says the self-appointed "PM" who has no clue how to run a country...

If you're going to take over by force and have a completely free hand at running the show then you should not be running the country into the ground... Getting that part right is the minimum level of competence required of self-appointed "PM"s.

Nice little rant, and in the mean time labourers should increase their skill set.

[DM07]

"Improve your skills, workers! While we, the elite, cut down your wages, raise the cost of living for you, so we can fill our pockets and live like kings- the way it was meant to be!"

[dbrenn]

And the labourers are no doubt calling on the PM to improve his skills too

[Duncan Donut]

Things continue to go the way of the pear.....

[Emster23]

Laborers call on PM to improve their education

is headline we'd like to see. Fat chance.

[Lupatria]

Improve their skills - like he did in diplomacy???

[Basil B]

I always thought a labourer was an unskilled manual worker.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Basil B

[wabothai]

Improve your skills and how you do it is up to you.

You know mr. hiso general if you would be saying this in a civilized manner you would have to give them something to work with.

[plachon]

I always thought a labourer was an unskilled manual worker.

Not in the Thai sense of the word. A carpenter, brick-layer or plasterer could be called a "gamma-gon", or labourer, in Thailand. So could a farm labourer performing quite skilled tasks, such as hand pollination of vegetables like tomatoes. They are all skilled to greater or lesser degrees, and in a Western country, the labourers on a building site would be well-paid for their labour, unlike in Thailand where they scrape the minimum wage.

It has been my own experience that many, if not most, Thai labourers are more skilled at what they do, than most managers and mid-level government officials. Fair enough that they may not be able to use a computer or fiddle the books, like their "educated" and better-paid compatriots in government service or management, but they are far more honest and trustworthy people as individuals, which should count for something in society (but patently not in Thailand, at least in terms of monetary value attached to a person's employment).

Thus, Prayuth's pontifications smack of the worst kind of paternalism, given that most "gamma-gon" are in their jobs because their families have been too poor or disenfranchised by the prevailing Thai education system to get a better education and the "skill set" that is being alluded to. He would be better off promising more grants and scholarships to the bottom quartile of households, than telling poor people to get more skills.

[chrisinth]

I always thought a labourer was an unskilled manual worker.

The actual definition is for someone who works with their hands, not necessarily unskilled work.

Still, it has been my experience in Thailand that a labourer/worker will not (or cannot?) improve overnight without incentive and help to do so.

Good will from the labourer/worker alone will not do this, if their equipment is not updated or they are not trained in the latest technologies, things stay the same.

Back to you PM............................

[Briggsy]

Standards in the workplace and training of the workforce along with compliance enforcement will improve skills of the workforce. The opposite of the mai pen rai attitude.

Focus must be on employers and trade associations. Substandard work - fine the employer / contractor, substandard workmanship - censor the body that gave the qualification, no qualification - cannot work unsupervised. Tone is set at the top. Even more so here. No good ranting at powerless workers to improve their skills. The PM has no idea and is drenched in ineffective paternalism.

[gandalf12]

I always thought a labourer was an unskilled manual worker.

By definition they are

[Artisi]

I always thought a labourer was an unskilled manual worker.

Not in the Thai sense of the word. A carpenter, brick-layer or plasterer could be called a "gamma-gon", or labourer, in Thailand. So could a farm labourer performing quite skilled tasks, such as hand pollination of vegetables like tomatoes. They are all skilled to greater or lesser degrees, and in a Western country, the labourers on a building site would be well-paid for their labour, unlike in Thailand where they scrape the minimum wage.

It has been my own experience that many, if not most, Thai labourers are more skilled at what they do, than most managers and mid-level government officials. Fair enough that they may not be able to use a computer or fiddle the books, like their "educated" and better-paid compatriots in government service or management, but they are far more honest and trustworthy people as individuals, which should count for something in society (but patently not in Thailand, at least in terms of monetary value attached to a person's employment).

Thus, Prayuth's pontifications smack of the worst kind of paternalism, given that most "gamma-gon" are in their jobs because their families have been too poor or disenfranchised by the prevailing Thai education system to get a better education and the "skill set" that is being alluded to. He would be better off promising more grants and scholarships to the bottom quartile of households, than telling poor people to get more skills.

What I see in many cases is quiet reasonable / good skills certainly above the wages being paid.

[mtls2005]

Can't he just invoke Article 44 and order them to "improve their skills"?

[jerojero]

OK guys and gals across the country. I called upon you, now get to it! Teach yourselves as I'm building railroads and stuff, no money for Education or Training. So sorry, just suck it up, I'm in charge and I know what's best.

[yellowboat]

"Improve your skills, workers! While we, the elite, cut down your wages, raise the cost of living for you, so we can fill our pockets and live like kings- the way it was meant to be!"

Rumour has it lots of labourers are red-shirts who acknowledge an Amply Rich fellow as their de facto boss.

The muzzling of the press and suppression of free speech has reduced Thailand to the land of rumours, as you say.

Thailand has always been the Hub of rumours nothing to do with muzzling of the press or suppression of free speech.

Really? What about discussing the Thai charter ? Criticizing it can get you ten years in jail. Welcome back. We missed your unwavering support of those who usurp power.

Thais should increase their skill sets and look at working overseas where they can make more money. Place like Malaysia hire lots of Thais and pay them well.

Edited May 2, 2016 by yellowboat

[metisdead]

A post in violation of the following forum rule has been removed as well as the replies:

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[rubl]

Rumour has it lots of labourers are red-shirts who acknowledge an Amply Rich fellow as their de facto boss.

The muzzling of the press and suppression of free speech has reduced Thailand to the land of rumours, as you say.

Thailand has always been the Hub of rumours nothing to do with muzzling of the press or suppression of free speech.

Really? What about discussing the Thai charter ? Criticizing it can get you ten years in jail. Welcome back. We missed your unwavering support of those who usurp power.

Thais should increase their skill sets and look at working overseas where they can make more money. Place like Malaysia hire lots of Thais and pay them well.

Thanks for the attack on person, seems to indicate I do something right.

Thai indeed look abroad, not just Malaysia, but also UAE, Finland, HK, Japan. About anywhere they are allowed to work and can earn good money. Just like people from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos come to Thailand. Just like India's workforce looks up to America, Philipino's look around, etc., etc.

Still building up industries which require a higher skill set and allow locals with such skill set to work locally does have some preference.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Another priceless remark by our remarkable leader.

They haven't got any skill's,that's why they are labourers.

[khomlong1]

Yeah, I'm sure the Roman Empire had better skilled plumbers than where I live.

[tuanku]

On the occasion of the National Labor Day on May 1st, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said he would like to send moral support and good wishes to all laborers in Thailand.

It would be interesting to know the last time the sender of this moral support and good wishes did a hard days physical work. there are plenty of labourers his age or older still working the fields or on building sites because they need to to get by. The concept of retirement is rather like that of annual paid holiday leave for most workers - mythical.

[Nigeone]

Another major issue in this request! Is that if you've ever tried to pass on knowledge or better work practices to a Thai you will know what your up,against. They are so stuck in there ways and reluctant to take on board better methods of doing things. I've tried to show so many young Thai workers ways of improving the end result and working quicker and more efficiently but they can't or won't take it in. I would also say I feel I have a lot of patience and experience in passing on skills but it was wasted on then...THAI way is the best and only way !!!