Education, labour and employment-related problems remained challenging this year for all stakeholders to tackle.
1. Back to school, kids
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expected the "Pha Nong Klab Ma Rian" (bring kids back to school) programme to help students who dropped out of the education system while encouraging their future possibilities.
"Pha Nong Klab Ma Rian" is a programme under the Ministry of Education's Office of the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec), and Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec), with another 11 public agencies involved.
The main focus is the children who dropped out of the education system.
The programme uses a mobile application to collect information about student drop-outs and track them down to provide access to resources that can help them solve problems that caused them to leave the education system.
According to Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong, schools that join the programme divide students into groups based on how high the risk of the student dropping out is.
The programme also provided a prevention system to keep the students in the system.
Some 238,707 kids had to leave the education system during the academic year of 2021 due to poverty and learning abilities, the programme says.
According to the report, the programme brought 127,952 students back to the system in its first phase in June.
The ministry expected to bring them all back to school by the end of 2022, said Ms Trinuch.
In other news, the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) claimed that it has given scholarships worth at least 21.8 billion baht to more than three million students over the past three years.
The EEF also developed the Information System for Equitable Education (iSEE), a drop-off tracking system that uses big data to help with access to education.
2. Debate on pensions
In response to growing calls for the Social Security Fund (SSF) to raise the ceiling of the maximum monthly salary, now capped at 15,000 baht -- which is used for calculating the monthly pension -- the Social Security Board (SSB) decided to raise the salary ceiling by 1,000 baht every two years starting from 2024.
Currently those who have paid a regular contribution to the SSF for at least 15 years and are 55 years old are entitled to receiving about 3,000 baht a month, 20% of the 15,000-baht monthly salary ceiling.
These monthly pensions couldn't be raised as long as the salary ceiling remains limited at 15,000 baht, while increases in the salary ceiling will also lead to rises in the calculation of financial compensation in cases such as unemployment or disabilities.
Raising the salary ceiling used in these calculations means the monthly contribution paid to the SSF would have to be raised as well.
Currently, employees and their bosses are paying 3% each to the SSF, or in total 6% of the 15,000 baht salary ceiling.
In this regard, the Ministry of Finance has unveiled an analysis which shows the "proper" rate of monthly contributions to the SSF should be 15.66%, based on the financial situation of the SSF's sub-fund for retirement.
The ministry has raised concerns over the financial stability of the SSF and the risk the fund's responsibility of paying pensions to retirees will end up becoming a burden to the government which might have to subsidise the fund.
The SSB's resolution will still have to be sent to the cabinet before the salary ceiling raising proposal is announced some time next year.
Previously, monthly contributions to the SSF were allowed to be lowered for both sides as a financial measure aimed at helping workers and their employers cope with Covid-19.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin has defended the SSB's decision to lower monthly contributions, saying although the SSF saw a drop of 3.27% in contributions in 2020, and a 7.78% drop last year, the same amount of money has been spent by recipients, boosting the economy.
Construction workers are seen on a 'songthaew' in Bangkok. The Labour Ministry will ask cabinet to allow SSF subscribers to get a partial advance of their pension. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
3. Begging the SSF to budge
A move by the Labour Ministry allowing subscribers to the Social Security Fund (SSF) to get a partial advance of their pension could be approved by the cabinet after New Year.
Having lost their jobs during the pandemic, workers have called for access to their pension fund to alleviate their financial difficulties.
They have demanded three options: to choose between receiving their pension in one lump sum, or in monthly instalments for the rest of their lives; to use part of their pension as collateral for a bank loan or to get a partial advance on their pension.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said the changes will give a financial lifeline to SSF members during this difficult time, benefitting more than 12 million SSF subscribers.
However, some agencies are nervous about the planned revision to the SSF regulations, among which are the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), and the Budget Bureau.
They argued that the proposal is against the basic principle of social security, which is to minimise risks for fund members.
Under the draft amendments, recipients of old-age pensions will be allowed to apply as insured persons under Section 39 of the Social Security Act on a voluntary basis, after which they will be entitled to three types of benefits -- illness, disability and death.
Partial advances will create a long-term financial burden for subscribers, which may drive them towards seeking further state assistance in the future, said a source.
Under the current system, senior citizens who choose to claim their pension will receive a lump-sum payment when they reach 55.
However, their access to illness, disability and death benefits is terminated once they claim their pension.
Arunee Srito, a former Thai Kriang Textile Co labour union leader, said many retirees with health problems chose not to claim their pension to retain their status as insured persons in order to maintain access to health benefits.
However, many have speculated that the push might not be made on schedule.
If the cabinet accepts the legal amendment and presents it to parliament to approve in principle, the readings will continue even after the next elected-government takes office.
Mr Suchart expects the amendment to be passed into a bill which takes effect within 2023.
A Bangkok shop owner who will have to pay more in Social Security Fund contributions. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
4. Sour on Saudi wages
Labour market growth in Saudi Arabia seemed likely to be hampered by its unattractive wages, while jobs there, especially in the health workforce, are still in high demand in Thailand.
Diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia have been restored after 32 years, with cooperation in many aspects including tourism, energy, labour and food.
A source said Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin has set a target to export the country's skilled or semi-skilled workers to earn high incomes and further improve their potential, as Saudi Arabia has a huge city planning project underway.
As such, the Department of Employment wished to begin by exporting Thai workers without charge through state-to-state cooperation in an attempt to alleviate their financial burdens.
This was, however, unofficially opposed by the Saudi Arabian government which suggested the labour exports should in fact only be made by Thailand's private sector.
In the past, Saudi Arabia was the largest labour market for Thailand, with more than 300,000 Thai workers recorded as having been sent there.
At present, in stark contrast, there are only eight workers who have been sent to work in Saudi Arabia.
Of them, two workers applied to be practical nurses with monthly salaries of US$900 (about 31,200 baht), one applied for project manager with a monthly salary of about 30,000 baht and five applied to be cleaning personnel, with monthly salaries of $500.
A report showed women cleaners are in the highest demand in Saudi Arabia, followed by nurses, practical nurses and patients or elderly caregivers. But the wages are low when compared to other countries.
A labour analysis showed that besides the language factor, unattractive wages discourage Thai workers from applying for the jobs. Plus, some jobs such as nurses, cleaners, welders and electricians, are also in high demand in Thailand.
So, labour exports to Saudi Arabia were not as successful as they should have been.
Mr Suchart said the ministry still promotes labour exports via state-to-state cooperation.
Most Thai workers want to work in Taiwan, Israel, South Korea and Japan, respectively, he added.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin and Saudi Arabia's Labour and Social Development Minister Ahmed bin Suleiman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rajhi pose for a photo after signing a joint agreement on labour cooperation in March. (Photo: Ministry of Labour)
5. Berry picking jobs
As berry-picking jobs in Europe continue to attract more than 20,000 workers from Thailand in the hope of making a huge sum of money between June and September every year, the Ministry of Labour is now attempting to help improve their work conditions and benefits.
The ministry aims to adopt Sweden's standard of work contracts awarded to Thai berry pickers, in which berry pickers' income is guaranteed at a reasonable rate so they can earn more than the roughly 100,000 baht they spend on securing work contracts and funding their travel and stay in Sweden while working there picking wild berries.
A possible solution to ensure Thai berry pickers who go to work in countries such as Finland -- where berry pickers aren't classified as "seasonal workers" as is the case in Sweden, and where income and work benefits are guaranteed for these type of workers -- is to require that the recruitment agencies in Thailand are recognised under Thai law.
This way, berry pickers' labour rights will be better protected under Thai labour laws in terms of the minimum wage rates they are offered by their employers who are responsible mainly for finding them berry picking jobs in Europe.
Workers' living conditions under a contract signed with these recruitment agencies as well as the rates the agencies charge will also have to meet the standards set under Thai labour protection laws, said the ministry.
Complaints have been received previously that many Thai berry pickers have had to work 14 to 15 hours a day, according to the ministry.
It's sad but true that many of these workers ended up owing their recruitment agencies a great deal of money after returning to Thailand. They did not earn as much as they had expected.
A possible solution to ensure Thai berry pickers who end up going to work in countries like Finland -- where berry pickers aren't classified as "seasonal workers" as is the case in Sweden, and where income and work benefits are guaranteed for these type of workers -- is to require that the recruitment agencies operating in Thailand act with regard to labour measures that are recognised under Thai law, not the law of foreign employers.
Two Thai workers pick berries in a forest in Finland. (Photo: Ministry of Labour)