Phuket launches migrant labour training and new protection monitoring drive
Phuket this week launched employer training on legal migrant worker management and a separate labour protection monitoring project, as officials reported more than 122,000 registered foreign workers in the province.
Phuket officials this week launched two labour-related programmes aimed at improving oversight of migrant employment and strengthening worker protection as the province continues to rely heavily on foreign labour.
The Phuket Provincial Employment Office on Tuesday, May 26, held its first foreign labour law and management training programme for the 2026 fiscal year at The Pago Hotel in Ratsada. Phuket Vice Governor Teeraphong Chuaychoo presided over the opening ceremony, joined by employers, business operators and partner organisations from across the province.
The training was designed to help businesses better understand laws, regulations and procedures for legally employing foreign workers, while promoting more efficient labour management. Officials from the employment office gave presentations on managing migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, including the electronic work permit system and work permit procedures.
Representatives from Phuket Immigration Office also briefed participants on the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), visa issuance and extensions, residential address notification requirements and mandatory 90-day reporting. Other sessions covered social security benefits, health check-ups, health insurance requirements and procedures for issuing and updating registration records known as pink cards.
Pichit Singthongkam, chief of the Phuket Provincial Employment Office, said Phuket continues to face high demand for unskilled foreign labour, especially in the business and service sectors where many jobs are not being filled by Thai workers. He said the province's minimum wage of B400 per day has also contributed to a steady influx of migrant workers.
According to figures presented at the event, Phuket has 15,275 employers and establishments employing migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The province has 122,781 registered foreign workers holding work permits, including 120,295 Myanmar nationals, 1,550 Lao nationals, 209 Cambodian nationals and 727 Vietnamese nationals.
Separately, officials on Wednesday, May 27, launched a new project to strengthen labour protection monitoring in response to changes driven by the digital economy. The opening ceremony was held at Bukitta Hotel in Phuket Town and was also presided over by Vice Governor Teeraphong.
The programme, attended by around 60 participants, forms part of a wider Ministry of Labour effort for the 2026 fiscal year to improve labour protection and monitor child labour risks in sectors including shrimp processing, fisheries, sugarcane and garment manufacturing.
Thanapong Orachorn, chief of the Phuket Provincial Labour Welfare and Protection Office, joined representatives from labour agencies, employers, employees and business operators at the session. Officials said the project would focus on preventing labour rights violations, promoting awareness of workers' rights and addressing emerging child labour risks linked to digital platforms and online work.
