News
10,000 Sri Lankan workers to Thailand
View(s):By S. Rubatheesan
The government is to finalise the agreement to hire some 10,000 Sri Lankan workers to Thailand next week to meet the labour shortage caused by the exodus of Cambodian labourers amidst border tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbours.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra told the Sunday Times that this is an ample opportunity the country can tap into and further improve the bilateral ties between the two countries.
Deputy Minister Hemachandra is to undertake an official visit next week to discuss the particulars regarding the salary, accommodation and other benefits since the government is determined to process this agreement as purely government to government without the involvement of the private sector.
“Currently, we are working on a mechanism to supply trained Sri Lankan workers to fill the shortage. During my visit, I will discuss the matter and procedures in detail with my Thai counterparts,” Deputy Minister said.
Earlier this week, Thai Labour Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit told reporters that the Thai Cabinet has approved hiring of 30,000 Sri Lankan workers who have already registered. As the first stage, 10,000 Sri Lankan workers will be hired along with workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The announcement from the Thai government came following a bilateral discussion held on August 11 between the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to Thailand, Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, and Thai Labour Minister Jungrungruangkit.
During the meeting, the Thai side acknowledged the growing need for foreign labour to address the shortfall and expressed a strong interest in expanding Thailand’s labour cooperation to include Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan embassy said.
Currently Thailand has existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on labour cooperation with Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The government is now actively seeking to diversify its sources of foreign labour in light of the ongoing shortages as well.
“In this context, the Minister expressed keen interest in recruiting Sri Lankan workers, with a particular focus on the construction and industrial sectors. He underscored Thailand’s willingness to work closely with Sri Lanka in formalising a bilateral arrangement between two countries,” the Sri Lankan embassy said.
According to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), a total of 144,379 Sri Lankans have gone abroad for employment during the first six months of this year.
The data indicates a significant increase in male workers, with 88,684 men leaving for overseas jobs compared to 55,695 women during the same period, according to data released by SLBFE.
Foreign remittances from overseas workers reached USD 3.73 billion in the first half of 2025, marking an 18.9% increase from the USD 3.14 billion recorded during the same period in 2024.
June alone saw remittances totaling USD 635.7 million, showcasing the vital role foreign employment continues to play in Sri Lanka’s economy, SLBFE said while expressing confidence that total remittances could reach USD 7 billion by the end of the year.
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