Thailand helps develop migrant workers' skills

BANGKOK, September 11 (TNA) - The Ministry of Labour is developing migrant workers' skills to meet demand of economic zones in five Thai provinces. Nakhon Silpa-archa, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Skill Development, spoke out the policy when opening a labour development workshop held at his ministry in Bangkok on Thursday, saying that migrant workers from three neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are beneficiaries. Nakhon revealed that his department has received a 14-million-baht fund from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of East Asian Affairs to develop skills of Lao, Cambodian and Myanmar workers in 22 Thai provinces this year, with the training covering about 2,400 of them and including courses on motorcycle and computer maintenance, as well as construction. Nakhon acknowledged that the three neighbouring countries of the trained migrant workers have cooperated well with the training program, organised in the lead-up to the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the end of next year and aimed to promote sound relations between Thailand and the three neighbouring countries, while helping trainees to learn cultures and workers' rights in Thailand as well. According to the senior official, the training will be continued next year, as the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has granted another 12 million baht to sponsor it, with another 2,400 trainees from the three neighbouring countries to be beneficiaries. The senior official noted next year's training courses will be prepared to meet demand of Thailand's special economic zones in Tak, Sa Kaeo, Trat, Songkhla and Mukdahan Provinces, covering construction, logistics and sewing, with participating trainees to receive certificates like their Thai peers. (TNA)