2020 Children’s Day at Government House of Thailand. (Trison Triboon/Wikimedia)
On June 16, Thailand enforced several rigorous policies in an attempt to counter child labour, such as developing vocational training and 10.000 safe jobs for children during the school holidays.
The deputy spokesperson of Thai government, Phatdarasami Thongsaluaykorn, stated that the government prioritised the protection of children and adolescents towards unsafe labour. She also emphasised the importance of access to education, underlining that the government is promoting the expanded creation of age-appropriate jobs to help them gain work experience in a safe environment.
Implementation of more concrete measures have been instructed by the Thai Ministry of Labour. According to Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat, three key measures include providing safe employment opportunities for students during the school holidays. The second focuses on vocational training for adolescents who have not continued their education, and lastly, education regarding workers’ rights and workplace safety.
As part of the summer employment programme, the Ministry is collaborating with over 56 companies across the country to offer more than 10.000 positions, with an aim to enable students to earn an income and gain practical experience in accordance with labour laws.
Under the Thai labour law, child labour is forbidden under the age of 15, while adolescents are only allowed to work between the age of 15 and 17 in accordance with law and should be entitled to social benefits, regulated working hours and occupational safety protections.
Citing from the latest data of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 138 million children worldwide are still forced to work, including more than 54 million in hazardous conditions that threaten their health and development.
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