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Overseas recruitment agencies lobby to revise Thailand's job advertisement regulations

Led by Chairwoman, Aranya Sakulkosol, the Thai Overseas Manpower Association (TOMA) has lobbied to Thailand's Ministry of Labour to revise regulations to allow them to advertise job opportunities online to recruit job seekers in advance, as reported by Bangkok Post.

Under the current rules, advertisements for overseas jobs are permitted only after the vacant positions are examined and verified by the Foreign Ministry. "These measures hamper recruitment of workers for overseas jobs and pose obstacles amid increased competition for migrant labour in the global market,"she told the Bangkok Post.

She said online job advertising should be considered because it will help reduce the costs of employing a network of sub-agents, noting this can also lead to a reduction of service fees for job seekers.

"The prohibitive rules have erected obstacles that prevent Thailand from competing with other countries in exporting labour," she said, adding the labour market needs job placement firms to help export workers.

Overseas job placement agencies have suffered during the last decade, she added.

Many firms closed after countries that export and import labourers turned to job placements between governments or memorandum of understanding (MoU) frameworks instead.

These firms reportedly were perceived as villains, as unscrupulous firms have been implicated in labour fraud, overcharging or even human trafficking. They are also seen as a financial burden for labourers as some charged the exorbitant fees of 150,000-300,000 baht for placement.

For context, the current labour laws were created to keep such companies in check.

Photo / StockUnlimited

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