Suchart urges Thai ambassador to help find jobs in Finland for workers

Suchart and his delegation met ambassador Chavanart Thangsumphant at the Thai embassy in Helsinki to discuss job opportunities for Thai workers in Finland.

Suchart’s delegation included Surachai Trakulthong, assistant to the labour minister, Labour Ministry spokeswoman Thianrat Nawamawat, Wannarat Srisuksai, deputy permanent secretary at the Labour Ministry, Pairoj Chotikasathien, director-general of the Department of Employment.

Among other things, Suchart said he discussed with the ambassador opportunities for unskilled workers from Thailand as berry-pickers with proper contracts and with all rights, perks and protection under Finnish law.

Suchart said he and his delegation also discussed with the ambassador about coordination between the Labour Ministry and the Thai embassy in Helsinki through a working group.

Suchart said the ministry hoped that the coordination would help Thai skilled and unskilled workers in Finland receive protection and welfare in accordance with the law.

He added that the ministry also aimed to have the working group find more labour markets for Thai workers in Finland.

During the meeting, Suchart thanked the ambassador for taking good care of Thai workers in Finland.

Suchart also had a chance to meet and discuss with executives of Helsinki Partners, which is a city marketing, investment and talent attraction company owned by the City of Helsinki.

Suchart said he discussed with the executives about exporting Thai workers to work in fields where Finland has a shortage of workforce.

The minister added that the embassy would lead representatives of private firms in Finland to visit Thailand in October to explore opportunities to hire workers.

The labour minister said Thailand has the potential to export workers to Finland. In 2021 and 2022, the Labour Ministry sent 7,902 workers to the country. Most of the labourers worked in the agricultural sector, while the second largest group worked as Thai cuisine chefs, Suchart said. Thai workers sent back about 700 million baht a year in remittances, he added.

Helsinki Partners CEO Clarisse Berggårdh told Suchart that Finland is facing a severe shortage of labour force, because the country is becoming an ageing society.

He said Finland needed a lot of employees in the fields of IT, computer programming and smart technologies, as well as staff to take care of the elderly.