Thailand welcomes Bangladeshi, Vietnamese workers

BANGKOK, March 14 (TNA) - Thailand now eyes to import Bangladeshi and Vietnamese workers, in lieu of those from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Thai Labour Minister Padermchai Sasomsap told journalists on Thursday that different cultures and religions between Thailand and Bangladesh should not have any impact on their construction work. Padermchai allayed concerns of local contractors over his ministry's policy on importing Bangladeshi workers to replace Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar workers in the local construction sector to solve the problem of labour shortages. The labour minister said that his ministry also supports imports of Vietnamese workers, as the Vietnamese ambassador to Thailand has informed that Vietnam is interested in exporting its workers to Thailand's construction and fishing sectors, and that he has told associations of relevant business operators to report their labour demand to his ministry so that he will seek the Thai Cabinet's approval of the government-to-government imports, which are considered relatively convenient in terms of negotiations. Pravit Khiengpol, Director-general of the ministry's Department of Employment, suggested that local business operators look at the migrant workers' capabilities and hard work and if the local business operators prefer Vietnamese workers, they can seek the import of Vietnamese laborers simultaneously with the import of Bangladeshi workers. (TNA)