The State and Labour Migration Policies in Thailand

Thailand’s rapid economic growth has resulted in an increased demand for highly educated and skilled workers than the country can currently supply. In order to overcome this skilled manpower shortage, the Thai government has approved the recruitment of foreign PTK (professional, technical and kindred) workers. This policy, which does not take into account the movement of unskilled workers into Thailand, has resulted in an increase in undocumented labour migration into the country. Thailand is also experiencing changes in the composition of labour migrants. In the past, the assumption was that Thailand would become a net labour exporter. But it has now become both a labour-sending and a labour-receiving country.