South Korea is still a popular destination among Thais seeking overseas work due to high wages driven by labour shortages in the East Asian country.
Based on Work Ministry figures, regarding 25, 000 Thai nationals are lawfully employed in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), which requires workers to fulfill qualification requirements, including passing a Korean language proficiency check.
However , the number of Thais functioning illegally is approximated to be about a hundred and forty, 000, with a spike in illegal job hunters entering the country since tourists.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, South Korean authorities denied access to 417 out of 697 Thai travellers visiting Jeju earlier this month.
Of the 280 who were allowed set for a three-day visit, 55 disappeared, driving immigration officials to them down.
Several Thailänder visitors choose to get into South Korea via Jeju island due to the fact doing so doesn’t need Korea Electronic Take a trip Authorisation registration prior to departure.
Suchart: Measures being stepped up
The newly-introduced strategy is meant to help display tourists from nations granted visa exemptions and tourists must use a mobile app before entry.
Launched in September last year, the system began accepting applications from Thai visitors within April.
Seasonal work programme
The Labour Ministry will be putting the final touches to a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a seasonal work programme (SWP) to boost legal employment opportunities regarding Thais seeking job opportunities in South Korea.
Surachai Chaitrakulthong, assistant to the labour minister, mentioned the ministry has negotiated with Southern Korean officials a quota of Thailänder workers in the agricultural sector during the collect season.
The SWP is an employment scheme below which local governments in South Korea agree to allow abroad nationals to work on farms for a short period of between six to eight months.
The foreign workers must return house after their agreements expire.
After the two governments sign the MoU, the next step is to sign MoUs on periodic worker supplies along with local governments and begin the recruitment process, Mr Surachai.
He stated the SWP is really a joint attempt simply by Thai and South Korean authorities to curb an increase of illegal Thai workers while alleviating a labour shortage in South Korea’s agricultural sector.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin stated the ministry can be stepping up measures towards illegal job sportsman following a report that will half of Thai holidaymakers are denied access to South Korea.
The Department of Employment has been told to maintain an eye out for possible illegal job seekers from Suvarnabhumi and Add Mueang airports, he or she said.
Supang: Married couples hold key
An overall total of 328 people have had their take a trip documents suspended more than suspicious behaviour this year, while 112 people have been arrested and charged in connection with illegal job placement strategies that resulted in 158 victims and financial damage worth 12. 75 million baht, he said.
Inadequate labour force
The Labour Ministry resource said foreign workers employed under the EPS are hired for 3 sectors — commercial work, construction, gardening and livestock.
Almost 90% of those who obtain jobs are guys needed in industrial and construction work while the rest are usually women employed for plantation work.
Those employed in the industrial and structure sectors tend to switch jobs across the 3 sectors during their stay.
Plantation workers, on the other hand, possess a limited choice; they can move to jobs along with new employers but only within the same sector.
South Korea’s agricultural sector faces a serious shortage of employees and the situation has attracted illegal work hunters from Thailand often referred to as “little ghosts”, the source said.
Even though these are hired under the EPS, farm workers obtain much lower wages than patients in the other two sectors. They also face harsh working circumstances such as extreme cool or heat.
However , most are prepared to endure these types of conditions, especially if these are lucky enough to have an company who provides correct food and shelter and lends an hearing to their problems.
“It’s like winning a lottery when you don’t have to modify jobs and conserve brokerage fees, inch said one worker in Thailand.
He mentioned many farm workers do not get the income they were promised without knowing why. Coupled with hard work and harsh living conditions, many changed jobs and grew to become little ghosts.
Jobs with regard to couples
Citing a study around the employment of Thailänder workers in South Korea, Samarn Laodamrongchai, an academic with Chulalongkorn University’s East Asian Studies Company, said Thai employees usually face the language barrier and several abandon work out associated with boredom as they can not communicate with colleagues and employers.
Farm work, nevertheless , does not require language proficiency, only experience and skills that could be acquired on the job, he or she said.
He said the study, by a team associated with labour academics led by workers legal rights expert Supang Chantavanich, also found South Korean farm owners have an interest in hiring married couples with working encounter as they tend to be more dedicated and responsible to operate.
He or she said husbands generally receive higher spend than their wives who are assigned less laborious work, yet this kind of arrangement is certainly believed to help employers retain their workers.
It will also boost job possibilities for Thai women, he noted.
“[The arrangement] makes everybody happy. The employees will adjust better, and won’t give up on their jobs, ” he said.
“The employers don’t have to look for substitutes. ”
Mr Samran said this form of employment should be considered to boost job opportunities for Thais who can save more for their future, and sharing jobs can also help prevent breakups.
Citing the particular findings, he mentioned demand for Thai workers in South Korea is high because of their level of productivity, commitment to work and good manners towards colleagues and employers.