According to the memorandum of understanding on labour co-operation and an agreement on labour recruitment signed between Vietnam and Thailand last year, Vietnamese workers can work in the fisheries and construction sectors in Thailand. In an interview with Tống Hải Nam, Deputy Head of the Overseas Labour Management Department, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to find out more about progress on the agreement.
Could you tell us the key points of the memorandum of understanding and the agreement on labour recruitment signed between Vietnam and Thailand?
Tong Hai Nam, Deputy Head of the Overseas Labour Management Department, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs: At the meeting on April 19th to prepare for the official meeting between the labour ministers of the two countries, experts from both sides reached an agreement on the administrative formalities and the possible costs for Vietnamese workers to work in Thailand, as well as a list of agencies eligible to recruit Vietnamese labourers to work in Thailand.
According to the agreement, in which sectors can Vietnamese labourers work in Thailand?
After many discussions, Thailand agreed that both sides will allow Vietnamese workers to work construction and fisheries only. This is why the number of agencies authorised to recruit and manage Vietnamese labourers to Vietnam is limited. We asked Thailand to allow 10 Vietnamese agencies to be assigned, and they agreed
Could you tell us about the progress of the plan of Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to recruit labourers and send them to Thailand to work?
After the meetings on April 19th and 20th, there are only few things left to be discussed. First, Thailand needs to send us the details on training for Vietnamese workers before they go to Thailand. This is for Vietnamese workers to be well aware of Thai regulations and traditions. Second, Thailand also has to inform us the health requirements for Vietnamese workers. Third, we requested that Thailand sends us their list of agencies that are responsible for the cooperation with Vietnam agencies on labour recruitment. Thailand will declare their official plan in May, so maybe the recruitment may start in May too.
