The Cabinet approves signing an MOC to send Thai workers to Japan under the new "Employment for Skill Development" (ESD) system, which enhances skills, protects rights, and allows changing employers, starting 1 April 2027.
On 2 June 2026, Captain Phatdarasmi Thongsaluaykorn, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, stated that the Cabinet approved the draft Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on the Employment for Skill Development project between Thailand’s Ministry of Labor and Japanese government agencies. The Cabinet also authorized the Permanent Secretary of Labor and the Director-General of the Department of Employment to sign the MOC. This MOC supports Japan’s new labor import policy called the “Employment for Skill Development” (ESD) system, which will be enforced from 1 April 2027.
This draft MOC will greatly benefit Thai workers by upgrading their skills to be equivalent to "Specified Skilled Worker No. 1" through three years of work in Japan. It also ensures equal rights protection, granting Thai workers the same labor and safety rights as Japanese employees, preventing discrimination or exploitation. Moreover, the system is more flexible, allowing workers to request job or employer changes under set conditions. There will also be coordinated measures with the Thai embassy to assist workers and their families in returning home smoothly when the program ends.
Captain Phatdarasmi added that this MOC is valid for five years (automatically renewable every five years). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is not a treaty under Section 178 of the Constitution. Therefore, this signing represents a key opportunity to expand the labor market, enhance the rights and benefits of Thais in Japan to ensure fairness, and bring skills back to develop the country.