Thailand to Hire 10,000 Sri Lankan Workers Amid Labour Crisis

COLOMBO (News 1st); Thailand’s Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 10,000 Sri Lankan workers to address a growing labour shortage caused by the mass return of Cambodian workers following a deadly border conflict between the two nations.

Thailand’s Labour Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit confirmed that over 30,000 Sri Lankans have already registered, with the first batch of 10,000 set to be deployed soon.

The move is part of a broader strategy to stabilize Thailand’s workforce, which is increasingly strained due to an ageing population and declining domestic labour supply.

The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which erupted last month, resulted in at least 43 deaths and displaced over 300,000 people.

Prior to the unrest, more than 520,000 Cambodians were employed in Thailand, accounting for 12% of the country’s foreign workforce, particularly in agriculture, construction, and manufacturing.

In addition to Sri Lanka, Thailand will also open applications to workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as part of its regional labour diversification efforts. (Source: Thai Media)