Barriers to success of
Thai overseas workers:
English language skills and excessive broker fees
By Jon Fernquest 
If
you are frustrated with the job opportunities
available in your own country, you can always try another country. This is the essential idea behind "migrant labour" in which workers leave their own country to earn higher wages abroad which they then send back to their family in the home country in the form of "remittances".
Remittances account for a significant fraction of GDP in some countries (Read article).
Searching for work outside the country is a much more commonly chosen option in the Philippines than Thailand. Around 10% of the workforce in the Philippines chooses to work overseas (Read recent AFP article).
English language skills have opened many new opportunities for Philippine migrant labour including teaching the English language abroad including Thailand.
The Philippine government has also developed practical work-oriented training and certification programs that puts the Philippine workforce ahead of other countries such as Sri Lanka and Cambodia in the occupation of "caregiver" which includes duties such as looking after the elderly, disabled or adults with long-term illnesses.
Today's article discusses what needs to be done to make Thailand more competitive in the area of migrant labour with a special focus on Israel (Read recent New York Times article on recent challenges faced by migrant labour in Israel).
Today's article begins after the vocabulary below.
(Photo on right of farm workers. This is a common occupation for Thais working in Israel. Lack of English skills means they cannot qualify for higher paying jobs such as caregiver.)
excessive - too
much
broker, agent - a person who buys and sells things for other people (here: employment broker sells labour services to other people)
broker fees - money paid for selling something
frustrated - prevented from achieving some goal and feeling bad about this (impatient, annoyed)
migrant labour, migrant workers - workers who move from their homes to another country or region to get a job or work (See Wikipedia)
remittances - transfers of money by a foreign worker to his home country (See Wikipedia)
significant fraction - a large and important percentage
GDP, Gross Domestic product - a measure of economic activity in a country, the value of the country's output of goods and services. GDP is defined roughly as: GDP = Household Consumption + Business Investment + Change in Inventories + (Government Spending - Taxes) + (Exports - Imports) (See Economist Glossary)
commonly chosen option - something that many people choose to do
workforce - all the workers in a country
work-oriented - dealing with work, related to work
certification - issuing an official document to show that standards have been met (here: a "caregiver" is given a "certificate" after attending and passing a training course)
occupation - a job (with a well-defined set of skills that have to be mastered)
caregiver - a worker who takes care of disabled people who are unable to care for themselves (See Wikipedia)
elderly - older people over 65, who are often weaker and suffer from illnesses and disabilities
disabled - when a person is not able to use their body or brain properly because of an injury or disease (See Wikipedia)
focus - looking closely at one thing (instead of looking a little bit at many things)
challenge - a difficult goal to achieve (that needs skill, energy and determination to achieve)
broker, agent - a person who buys and sells things for other people (here: employment broker sells labour services to other people)
broker fees - money paid for selling something
frustrated - prevented from achieving some goal and feeling bad about this (impatient, annoyed)
migrant labour, migrant workers - workers who move from their homes to another country or region to get a job or work (See Wikipedia)
remittances - transfers of money by a foreign worker to his home country (See Wikipedia)
significant fraction - a large and important percentage
GDP, Gross Domestic product - a measure of economic activity in a country, the value of the country's output of goods and services. GDP is defined roughly as: GDP = Household Consumption + Business Investment + Change in Inventories + (Government Spending - Taxes) + (Exports - Imports) (See Economist Glossary)
commonly chosen option - something that many people choose to do
workforce - all the workers in a country
work-oriented - dealing with work, related to work
certification - issuing an official document to show that standards have been met (here: a "caregiver" is given a "certificate" after attending and passing a training course)
occupation - a job (with a well-defined set of skills that have to be mastered)
caregiver - a worker who takes care of disabled people who are unable to care for themselves (See Wikipedia)
elderly - older people over 65, who are often weaker and suffer from illnesses and disabilities
disabled - when a person is not able to use their body or brain properly because of an injury or disease (See Wikipedia)
focus - looking closely at one thing (instead of looking a little bit at many things)
challenge - a difficult goal to achieve (that needs skill, energy and determination to achieve)
Local News
'Skills deficiency hurts overseas labour'
HIGH JOB PLACEMENT FEES AND POOR LANGUAGE ABILITY CRIPPLING THAI WORKERS' CHANCES ABROAD, SAY AUTHORITIES8/08/2010
Penchan Charoensuthipan
Thailand must reduce its fees for overseas job placements and improve the language skills of workers, labour authorities have warned.
Labour Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said that Israeli ambassador to Thailand Itzhak Shoham had told him that the job placement fees for Thai workers seeking work in Israel were too high. As a result, Israel was considering reducing its quota for imported Thai labourers.
skills
- a type of work or task requiring special training and knowledge ทักษะ
ความสามารถเฉพาะทาง
skills deficiency - not having enough skills to achieve goals and success
job placement - the process of finding a job for a person
job placement fees - the money that a job-finding company (employment agency) charges to find people jobs
fees - money that you pay to be allowed to do something ค่าธรรมเนียม
crippling - harming and damaging (so that they no longer have a chance for success)
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
authorities - government officials, the people who control and govern some activity ผู้มีอำนาจ เจ้าหน้าที่
ambassador - an official who lives in a foreign country as the senior representative there of his or her country ทูต, เอกอัครราชทูต
quota - the limited quantity that is officially allowed (for example, an import quota for clothing from an exporting country )
skills deficiency - not having enough skills to achieve goals and success
job placement - the process of finding a job for a person
job placement fees - the money that a job-finding company (employment agency) charges to find people jobs
fees - money that you pay to be allowed to do something ค่าธรรมเนียม
crippling - harming and damaging (so that they no longer have a chance for success)
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
authorities - government officials, the people who control and govern some activity ผู้มีอำนาจ เจ้าหน้าที่
ambassador - an official who lives in a foreign country as the senior representative there of his or her country ทูต, เอกอัครราชทูต
quota - the limited quantity that is officially allowed (for example, an import quota for clothing from an exporting country )
Mr Chalermchai said other countries shared a similar sentiment and were rejecting Thai workers because they viewed Thai labourers as victims of human trafficking. The high fees they pay to go abroad means Thai workers must work very hard and live in poor conditions to repay the debt incurred by the placement.
sentiment
- a thought, opinion or idea based on a feeling about
a situation, or a way of thinking about something กระแส, แนวความคิด,
ความคิดเห็น
sentiment - an attitude or belief that people have based on their thoughts and feelings อารมณ์ทางความคิด
human trafficking - "the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor; a modern-day form of slavery" (SeeWikipedia)
victims - people who are killed injured or harmed in some way from an accident, natural disaster, crime, etc.
debt - an amount of money that you owe หนี้
incur debt - add debt (to the debt you already have)
sentiment - an attitude or belief that people have based on their thoughts and feelings อารมณ์ทางความคิด
human trafficking - "the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor; a modern-day form of slavery" (SeeWikipedia)
victims - people who are killed injured or harmed in some way from an accident, natural disaster, crime, etc.
debt - an amount of money that you owe หนี้
incur debt - add debt (to the debt you already have)
Israel had earlier suggested that Thailand send its workers through the International Organisation for Migration to reduce the cost of job placement overseas. The proposal was made a few years ago, but Israel has yet to receive a response from the Thai government.
Mr Chalermchai said his subordinates are studying the proposal, but for now he advises Thai workers to apply for membership with the Israeli labour organisation Histadrut.
Membership in the organisation cuts job placement expenses by 20,000 baht, he said.
International Organisation for
Migration - "the principal intergovernmental organization
in the field of migration. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and
orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing
services and advice to governments and migrants" (See Wikipedia)
proposal - a plan or suggestion for a group to consider ข้อเสนอ
subordinates of Y - staff or employees who work for Y (Y's employees)
studying the proposal - looking careful at the project description to see if they can and want to do the project
apply for membership - ask an organization officially if you can be a member (then organization either accepts or rejects)
Histadrut - Israel's organization of trade unions (See Wikipedia)
proposal - a plan or suggestion for a group to consider ข้อเสนอ
subordinates of Y - staff or employees who work for Y (Y's employees)
studying the proposal - looking careful at the project description to see if they can and want to do the project
apply for membership - ask an organization officially if you can be a member (then organization either accepts or rejects)
Histadrut - Israel's organization of trade unions (See Wikipedia)
Mr Chalermchai said job placement fees for a worker seeking employment in Israel should be 150,000 baht but agencies charge as much as 300,000 baht.
Upgrading the skills of Thai labourers working abroad is another matter that must be addressed, said Samarn Laodamrongchai, a researcher at the Institute of Asian Studies of Chulalongkorn University.
He said that the number of Thai workers leaving for overseas jobs has dropped from over 100,000 per year to 70,000-80,000 due to a lack of improvement in labour and language skills.
He said workers from Vietnam and the Philippines were more competitive in this respect.
employment
- having a paid job
agencies - employment agencies, companies that help people find jobs
charge Y for Z - ask the amount of money Y for service or good Z
matter - a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered เรื่อง, ภารกิจ, งาน
matter - something that you are discussing, considering or dealing with สิ่งที่พูดถึง ประเด็นที่พูดถึง
lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
improvement - when something gets better or when you make it better การปรับปรุง, การทำให้ดีขึ้น
competitive - involving competition มีการแข่งขัน
in this respect
agencies - employment agencies, companies that help people find jobs
charge Y for Z - ask the amount of money Y for service or good Z
matter - a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered เรื่อง, ภารกิจ, งาน
matter - something that you are discussing, considering or dealing with สิ่งที่พูดถึง ประเด็นที่พูดถึง
lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
improvement - when something gets better or when you make it better การปรับปรุง, การทำให้ดีขึ้น
competitive - involving competition มีการแข่งขัน
in this respect
Supat Kukhun, deputy director-general of the Employment Department, said that Thais used to be the most prevalent foreign workers in South Korea through the country's Employment Permit System for foreign workers, but it has since been surpassed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Nepal.
He said only one in 10 Thai workers looking for work in South Korea are able to pass language tests. Fewer than 1,000 Vietnamese job seekers passed language tests in the first year of South Korea's foreign employment system examinations, but today 85% of applicants from that country successfully complete the tests.
Vietnamese and Filipino workers with language skills work in medium-sized businesses in low-risk roles.
Thais work in small businesses and often take on dangerous jobs due to their limited language skills.
deputy
- a person who is given the power to do something instead
of another person, or the person whose rank is immediately below that
of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน
prevalent - very common แพร่หลาย พบได้บ่อยๆ
risk - danger, how likely or possible it is for a bad event that causes harm and damage ความเสี่ยง
low-risk roles - doing things in a job that are not dangerous (very low risk of injury or death)
prevalent - very common แพร่หลาย พบได้บ่อยๆ
risk - danger, how likely or possible it is for a bad event that causes harm and damage ความเสี่ยง
low-risk roles - doing things in a job that are not dangerous (very low risk of injury or death)
(Source: Bangkok Post, 'Skills deficiency hurts overseas labour', HIGH JOB PLACEMENT FEES AND POOR LANGUAGE ABILITY CRIPPLING THAI WORKERS' CHANCES ABROAD, SAY AUTHORITIES, 8/08/2010, Penchan Charoensuthipan, link)
