The Prime Minister officially opened the 29th ALMM conference with great ceremony, emphasizing Thailand's alliance with 11 ASEAN countries to upgrade the skills of over 357 million workers and accelerate the creation of Skill Bridges to address the Triple Transition. Meanwhile, the Labor Minister is advancing the ASEAN Skills Passport towards international standards.
On 26 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, highlighted the vision for regional workforce development, stating that ASEAN hosts over 357 million workers, representing one of the world's most powerful human capital resources. Amid the challenges of the Triple Transition—digital and AI transformation, green economy, and aging society—Thailand is committed to building Skill Bridges.
This effort aims to link lifelong learning with actual employment through Credit Bank systems and Digital e-Portfolios, ensuring that all workers—including vulnerable groups and freelancers—can access reskilling and upskilling opportunities, secure sustainable incomes, and receive comprehensive social protection without leaving anyone behind.
Chulapan Amornwiwat, Minister of Labor, revealed Thailand's key mission as ALMM chair for the next two years: to establish common standards for skill certification recognized internationally, thereby tangibly increasing workers' incomes.
Thailand is ready to drive certification through three pillars: training curricula, skill standards, and ASEAN Centers of Excellence, alongside piloting the ASEAN Digital Skills Passport (DSP). In addition, Thailand plans to introduce an AI Governance Framework to regulate and mitigate AI's impact on the labor market and new graduates.
The ministry will also adjust training KPIs to focus on actual employment rates and income growth, and collaborate with the private sector on job matching for future industries such as electric vehicles (EV), data centers, and AI.
"A major highlight of this meeting is the one-on-one bilateral discussions between Thailand and member countries to establish labor mobility measures with neighboring nations—Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia—aiming for maximum benefits and appropriate protections for all parties. The Ministry of Labor takes this opportunity to invite the Thai public to join in hosting international delegates, showcasing ASEAN's potential and readiness, and driving human capital development toward a sustainable future together."