Fisheries group seeks Myanmar workers to replace departing Cambodians
Thailand’s fisheries sector is pushing to recruit skilled Myanmar workers to fill gaps left by thousands of Cambodian labourers returning home amid border tensions.
Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, president of the Thai Fisheries Association, said there are around 14,000–15,000 Cambodian nationals legally employed in Thailand’s fishing industry. These workers fall into two main categories.
MOU workers – employed under a memorandum of understanding between the Thai government and Cambodia, allowing the legal recruitment of foreign workers for the marine fishing industry to address labour shortages and prevent human trafficking.
These contracts typically last two years, with most workers based in processing plants.
Section 83 workers – employed under Section 83 of the 2015 Fisheries Act, which authorises the Department of Fisheries to issue crew member certificates for foreign workers on fishing vessels. These certificates serve as both temporary residence and work permits under Thai labour laws.
Mongkol said that following recent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, an estimated 4,000–5,000 Cambodian workers, mostly in the Section 83 category, have returned home.
In contrast, most MOU workers have remained, as their contracts are still in force. He noted that the returning workers were not leaving due to unpaid wages, as most employers had offered extra pay to encourage them to stay, but rather due to other pressures prompting them to return home.
To mitigate the labour shortage, the Thai Fisheries Association will request the Labour Ministry to expedite the recruitment of Myanmar workers under Section 14 of the Labour Protection Act, which sets out the rights and obligations of employers and employees under the Civil and Commercial Code.
Mongkol said Myanmar workers are already skilled in fishing, unlike Bangladeshi workers who require training, and are available in sufficient numbers to fill the gap immediately.
Poj Aramwattananont, chairman and CEO of Sea Value Plc and chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said there has been no indication that MOU workers are planning to return to Cambodia, as they prefer to continue working in Thailand due to better welfare and clearly defined employment terms.
He added that this group is unlikely to be affected by the current situation.
