Yongyuth Chalamwong, Ph.D.
Research Director, Labor Development
Big data to keep Thai workers afloat
Winit Theanvanichpant Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Thailand early this year, businesses have been falling like dominoes. Millions of people have lost their jobs in the country’s worst economic downturn in recent memory. Yet some jobs have survived the pandemic better than others. Which are they? Why are they resilient to the crisis? What jobs […]
How to protect over 2 million migrant workers in Thailand from Covid-19
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Chalamwong As Covid-19 continues to spread around the world, Thai people who work abroad in 119 countries have been affected by prevention measures, such as country lockdown, border closure, international flight restriction, ban on social grouping, obligatory face mask wearing, and social distancing, that have been enforced in almost every country. […]
Respect labour rights to avert sanction
Yongyuth Chalamwong Ratree Prasomsup Apart from the baht getting stronger, Thai exports will suffer another big blow when the United States cuts Thailand’s duty-free trade privileges due to the poor protection of workers’ rights.From April, the suspension of trade privileges for Thailand under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) will affect a wide range of […]
Baht, jobless surge spells tough times
Yongyuth Chalamwong Media reports and analyses from various news agencies are in agreement about the Thai economy. And it is not at all good news. Despite the government’s efforts to stimulate the economy, it is clear that the 2019 economic growth rate will fall far short of the already very modest 3% target. Blame it […]
End Thailand’s relaxed labour laws
YONGYUTH CHALAMWONG ALONGKORN CHALADSOOK How many migrant workers are there in Thailand? This might seem a fairly simple question. But it does not have a simple answer. To begin with, the official number reported by the Office of Foreign Workers Administration under the Ministry of Labour represents only registered migrant workers. But there are plenty […]
TDRI upbeat about job market after integration
NOP TEPHAVAL The free movement of migrant labour after the integration of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) later this year is expected to bring more benefits than drawbacks for the Thai economy. A rising workforce would stimulate economic activities, which in turn would boost consumption, according to the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). Yongyuth Chalamwong, […]
Standardised tests: the right option for Thai education reform?
Wanwisa Suebnusorn, Yongyuth Chalamwong Labour Development Section, TDRI “Thai education offers individuals a sense of failure.” This short but poignant statement by Nicholas Bennett in the 1960s may still be relevant to contemporary Thai society. In his book entitled “Education in Underdeveloped Countries”, Bennett (1965) argued that education for […]
CHANGE STARTS NOW
As Thailand’s population ages and shrinks, policymakers need to speed up efforts to adapt on many fronts. By Nareerat Wiriyapong Thailand has a 20-year population development plan that contains many measures to deal with a growing ageing population and a shrinking labour force. However, the country’s long record of political volatility suggests that turning plans into […]
Learning that creates value for work
Yongyuth Chalamwong, Wanwisa Suebnusorn Several recent studies have indicated that demand for labour under globalisation favours the employment of workers with secondary education-type skills – such as proficiency in reading and writing, capacity to reason, problem-solving skills and the ability to learn throughout life. As a result, the current role of secondary education comprises both […]