Proposal to open ten reserved occupations to foreign workers
A meeting proposed opening ten occupations previously reserved for Thai nationals to foreign employees, while recommending that security work, Thai massage and business ownership remain reserved for Thais.
On 26 September, the Department of Employment held a consultation at the Ministry of Labour on subordinate legislation defining occupations prohibited for foreign nationals, from 09:30 to 14:30. Deputy Director-General Sombat Niwetrat chaired the meeting, which included broad discussion among public and private stakeholders.
At 14:30, Sombat summarized discussions involving more than 120 organizations about 39 reserved occupations. The preliminary proposal was to open ten occupations to foreign workers: manual labour; agriculture, livestock, forestry or fishing, excluding specialist work, farm supervision and marine fishing-vessel labour; bricklaying, carpentry and construction; shopfront sales; gemstone cutting and polishing; mattress and quilt production; shoe making; hat making; garment making; and pottery. Workers would be permitted only as employees, not business owners.
Occupations proposed to remain reserved included: wood carving; driving vehicles except international aircraft; auctioneering; accounting supervision, audit and services; hairdressing and beauty services, although foreign employees could work in shops; hand weaving; mat and reed, rattan, jute, straw or bamboo products; handmade mulberry paper; lacquerware; Thai musical instruments; nielloware; gold, silver and gold-copper alloy products; polished metalware; Thai dolls; monks' alms bowls; handmade silk products; Buddha images; paper or fabric umbrellas; and brokerage or agency work except international trade.
Read more: https://www.dailynews.co.th/politics/600800
Other reserved occupations listed were civil engineering design, calculations, systems, research, planning, testing, construction supervision or advice except specialist work; architectural design, drafting, estimation and construction management; hand-rolled cigarettes; tour guiding; street vending; setting Thai printing type by hand; reeling or twisting silk by hand; and legal services or litigation. Exceptions applied to arbitration and representation in arbitration where the governing law was not Thai or enforcement of the award in Thailand was not required. Knife making and clerical or secretarial work remained unresolved.
Three additional reservations were proposed: security work, Thai massage and business ownership. A Department of Health Service Support representative cited Thai massage's cultural identity and traditions, and called for clear boundaries to protect them.
Read more: https://www.dailynews.co.th/politics/600800