"Julpan," Minister of Labor, accepts the Joint Private Sector Committee's proposal to the Cabinet to extend work permits for foreign workers and expand labor import sources from new countries after encountering a shortage of 500,000 workers in the country.,
At 10:00 a.m. on 25 May 2026 at the Ministry of Labor, Mr. Julpan Amornwiwat, Minister of Labor, representing the Cabinet, received a proposal letter addressing the labor shortage problem from the Joint Private Sector Committee (JPC), led by Dr. Phot Aramwattanon, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
The JPC stated that currently, the agriculture, industry, and service sectors have faced a prolonged labor shortage. The main factor is tension along the Thailand-Cambodia border and competition from other countries importing labor from Myanmar, resulting in a decline of Myanmar workers in Thailand, especially male workers. Consequently, Thailand now confronts a labor shortage of up to 500,000 workers, contrary to the continuously decreasing working-age population in the country.
Therefore, the JPC proposed that the government urgently consider measures to extend work permits for foreign workers, focusing on the four nationalities residing in Thailand (Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam). They also urged the Ministry of Labor to plan long-term labor replacement by expanding the labor import base to new countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Indonesia, emphasizing that addressing this issue promptly would effectively drive government economic policies.
Mr. Julpan Amornwiwat, Minister of Labor, stated after receiving the proposal that the government acknowledges Thailand is genuinely facing a labor shortage. Therefore, urgent measures to extend work permits for the four foreign nationalities in Thailand are necessary to keep the economy moving smoothly. Although there were previous border tensions, he stressed these are issues between governments, not between peoples.
Mr. Julpan emphasized that he will promptly bring this proposal to the Cabinet meeting for swift consideration. He also issued policy directives to urgently resolve the issue of foreign workers residing illegally in Thailand due to registration delays, aiming to allow them to enter the system legally. Regarding plans to open border checkpoints for importing new batches of workers, this depends on the overall government policy direction.
Regarding the long-term plan to import workers from new countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Indonesia, the Minister noted that the Ministry of Labor recognizes the need and has been continuously advancing this matter toward future signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs).