Press Releases
Unemployment Alleviation Action Plan
Thailand's economic situation has deteriorated since 1996. It followed by the declining of exports, the exchange rate floating after 2 July 1997, the receiving of the IMF bailout package, and the world economic crisis especially in Asia. These crisis had caused the effects on business, industry, service and other economic sectors. The important result appeared in the rising of unemployment rate. Since early 1998, there has been 1.17 million unemployed workers. The higher rate of unemployed workers brought to the increasing numbers of economic and social problems.

 
At the beginning of the situation, each government agency set up its own action plan to combat the crisis. However, the government realized that a comprehensive action plan for the whole country will be the best way in combating it. As a result, the cabinet adopted a resolution to establish an "Unemployment Alleviation Action Plan" on 9 December 1998 with its adjustment on 23 December 1998.

 
This Action Plan aims at solving the unemployment issue in an integrated way. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will act as a principle coordinating agency.  The Plan composes of work plans/projects/activities which coincide with the country unemployment alleviation plan. "The National Committee on Unemployment Alleviation Policy" has established and chairs by Prime Minister with Permanent - Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare acting as a member and  secretariate.

 
With the government national policy, which announced before the House of Representatives on 20-21 November 1997, and its work plans/projects/activities, the government has announced 7 measures to solve this unemployed problem as follows:

 
1. "Thai Helps Thai Measure" This measure aims at reducing people's ost of living by providing cheap consumer products, such as, food and medicine. This also includes free health care, children education, and loan for self-employed.
2. "Rural Employment Creation Measure" This measure aims at seeking temporary jobs for unemployed workers. Each government agency has been ordered to apply a labour-intensive approach for every projects under their annual budget.  These projects include the development of tourist places, the cultural conservation and natural resources rehabilitation.
3. "Immigrant Workers Measure" This measure aims at reducing the numbers of illegal immigrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia in Thailand. These workers created the problems of social and public health care and also reduced the opportunities of Thai workers in getting jobs.
4. "Thai Workers Working Overseas Measure" This measure aims at increasing foreign earning and promoting Thai workers working overseas. The activities include an increasing numbers of Thai workers, adjusting the conditions and procedures for applications, and facilitating and helping Thai workers in each foreign country.
5. "Industrial Employment Promotion Measure" This measure aims at maintaining the employment level in industrial and service sectors. it will also minimize the pressure of unemployment issue. A supporting of large employment enterprises through the increasing of liquidity, reducing production cost, exporting promotion, and increasing foreign investment are major activities. For the workers, the activities on skill upgrading and re-employment schemes are strengthening. 
6. "The New Agricultural Theory Measure" This measure is initiated by His Majesty the King.  The principle is to introduce a new way of agricultural system as a means for living and as a source of absorbing unemployed workers, who returned to their rural homeland areas. The activities include a supporting of operational capital, advising on agricultural technique and marketing, public or  private land leasing for those landless unemployed, etc.
7. "The Candle Light Measure" This measure aims at promoting employment for unemployed graduates. The activities include a dissemination of employment information, an expanding of postgraduate/higher certificate programs, and a promotion of voluntary graduate program for rural development, etc.
The implementation of these measures has an impact on the remedy of unemployment issue, which can be seen in the past fiscal year (1998) as follows:
1.  On Employment Effects
1.1
 Rural Employment Creation Measure: It created the jobs for 450,000 unemployed workers
1.2
 Immigrant Workers Measure: 268,259 Thai workers replaced the illegal workers.
1.3
 Thai Workers Working Overseas Measure: 137,997 Thai workers were sent abroad.
1.4
 Industrial Employment Promotion Measure: The activities on management development, advice on solving factory's issues, investment promotion, and a reduction on social security contribution were implemented for labour-intensive industries. Followed with the export promotion activities, such as product development, trade negotiation, tax rebate on imported inputs. As a result, 277,950 unemployed workers were reemploy.
Apart from the above-mentioned activities, a promotion of rural industry, such as self-employed, home workers, and handicraft training, were created and employing 14,478 unemployed workers.
1.5
 The New Agricultural Theory Promotion: 6,838 agricultural / unemployed households or 30,770 people participated in this measure.
2.  On Cost of Living Remedy and Other Effects
2.1
 Thai helps Thai Measure: The Blue Flag Program and Cheap Consumer Products Selling Program were created with 5,982 shops participation.1,127,750 unemployed and others received these benefits. Besides, the organizing of consumer product mobile unit/market fairs for 7,080 times were set up with 2,627,602 beneficiaries. The total figures were 3,755,352 beneficiaries.
2.2
 The Candle Light Measure: There were 24,931 graduates received information about employment, continued education. self-employed training programs.
2.3
 Industrial Employment Promotion Measure: In preparation for economic recovery and regional industrial distribution, skill development programs were created with 98,768 unemployed participation.
Although the unemployment issue has been resolved, the total problems hasn't been eliminated yet. This is due to the continued economic crisis, both in Thailand and overseas. As a consequence, it is still necessary to follow this action plan with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare acting as a principal coordinating agency.

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SOURCE : Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
December 1998