Thailand-South Korea relations are paradoxical. The countries share a dynamic that boasts both heroic achievements and glaring challenges. While their cultural and economic ties have progressed over the decades, they are black-eyed by labour and immigration issues. Solving these irritating issues can elevate friendship and unleash the potential of bilateral cooperation.
On the one hand, Thailand has one of the world's most famous faces, Lisa Manoban, the superstar from the K-pop group Blackpink, whose Isan (northeastern region) heritage is celebrated widely in South Korea and beyond. On the other hand, there is the darker reality of over 120,000 undocumented Thai workers also from the Isan region living in South Korea. They often make constant news headlines. These visa overstayers, often young and in their prime, contribute to South Korea's labour force but face legal and social challenges. Tragically, of late, well over 600 Thai nationals are incarcerated in South Korean prisons for drug-related offences. The outlook is not good.
This dichotomy of fame and infamy exemplifies the dual narratives in Thai-South Korean relations -- one of cultural admiration and the other of unresolved labour and immigration issues.
At a recent meeting in Seoul between Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat and Parinya Wongcherdkwan, Deputy Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, they discussed approaches for managing labour migration and reducing the number of Thai workers who overstay their visas. Indeed, this year, Thai lawmakers from these workers' constituencies have been visiting South Korea for fact-finding trips. By all means, Thailand is still enjoying a visa waiver despite the immigration issue.
In the past several months, Thai netizens have been unhappy with South Korea's immigration measures, particularly the high rejection rates for Thai travellers at airports, despite their compliance with the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) system. Anti-Korea websites and hashtags have inundated social media to show their frustration. Even though the 2023-2024 period has been designated as the Thailand-South Korea Mutual Visit Year, the number of Thai tourists to South Korea, once one of the most popular destinationห, has dropped dramatically. This year, around 200,000 Thais visited the country, down nearly 21% from the previous year.
When it comes to South Korea and the efforts to mitigate these outstanding tasks, Thailand must be clear-headed and adopt proactive measures. Rhetoric on soft power -- such as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's promotion of Thai culture and cuisine -- must be backed by substantive policies that address underlying problems. True soft power, as political scientist Joseph Nye says, is about building a nation's attractiveness through sustainable frameworks, not just leveraging existing cultural assets. In short, soft power is more than labelling existing popular Thai products or food as such.
Truth be told, for too long, the two countries have used the Korean War as the symbol of their relationship. The Thai troops took part in the UN-backed international forces during the Korean War. It is a memory that dates back over 70 years, and Seoul has never forgotten the heroic Thai actions and has continued to offer friendship and assistance to families of Thai veterans.
But it is a time for both countries to move into the future together in a creative way. Indeed, Thailand can take inspiration from South Korea's deepened ties with Vietnam over the past three decades, which serve as a model of successful bilateral cooperation.
A fresh approach to Thailand-South Korea relations could unlock untapped potential in areas like labour, investment, and education. One of the most pressing issues is the overall plight of Thai workers in South Korea. To improve their conditions and reduce the number of overstayers, Thailand must take decisive action in several areas.
First of all, language proficiency is critical for Thai workers to thrive in South Korea. However, language requirements are often ignored by Thai authorities, who prioritise physical labour over communication skills. The Thai Labour Department must enforce mandatory language tests in English or Korean to enhance the workers' employability and integration.
Thailand's Ministry of Education should revamp vocational school curricula to align with the demands of the modern labour market. Vocational education in Thailand suffers from a poor reputation and is often associated with school violence and juvenile delinquency. Addressing these issues would make vocational training a more attractive and effective pathway for Thai workers. Japan has been quite successful in technological training for Thai students through its so-called "kosen" schools.
Secondly, the government must also crack down on local illegal recruiters who exploit workers, particularly in rural areas. Most brokers have strong ties with local officials or are local influential figures themselves. Thai authorities must implement stricter measures to combat these networks as it would reduce the number of undocumented workers in South Korea. Transparent but stringent background checks on the Thai side can effectively deter any possible dodgers.
Furthermore, the Thai authorities' voluntary return programme should be extended, allowing overstayers to return home without penalties. Seoul has responded positively and extended the current deadline, which ended last month, by two more months until January. These programmes would reduce the number of overstayers and pave the way for more legal migration pathways.
To increase the quota of Thai workers, Thailand should negotiate with South Korea's Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Employment and Labour for both skilled and unskilled workers. South Korea still needs foreign workers to help with the local economy, especially in the shipping industry. For the Thai workers whose visas will expire, they need help to keep their jobs and stay on with better language and upskilling training.
Beyond labour issues, Thailand and South Korea have much to gain from closer economic and strategic cooperation. South Korea's investments in Thailand remain disappointingly low. Sad but true, only around 400 Korean companies invested in Thailand in comparison to 9,000 companies in Vietnam. Expanding Seoul's investments in high-tech industries and renewable energy would significantly promote Thai economic growth and align with the current sustainable economic pathway.
Lest we forget, the two countries are members of the US-led alliance in the Indo-Pacific region. South Korea has been participating in the annual Cobra Gold annual exercise since its inception. Enhanced collaboration in areas such as technology, defence and trade would reinforce their strategic importance in the region. Thailand is interested in furbishing hundreds of its armoured personnel carriers. In addition, South Korea's advanced technology sector and the growing local digital economy could form joint ventures and innovation partnerships.
Bangkok and Seoul must move beyond the impasse of unresolved labour issues and nostalgia to bolster ties. Both sides must be constructive in their approach to lay a stronger groundwork for deeper economic cooperation integration. As such, Thailand should learn from Vietnam on specific strategies that have won major corporations' investment.
For Thailand, this means taking responsibility for its workforce by equipping workers with the skills and support they need to succeed in South Korea. For South Korea, it involves treating Thai workers with dignity and fairness and recognising their economic contributions.
By tackling these issues head-on and urgently, they can transform their stoic bilateral ties into a model of cooperation that balances cultural ties with pragmatic policies and shared economic interests. It should be the immediate pathway.