Thai workers to get equal rights under new Japan job deal
Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation for Japan’s Employment for Skill Development (ESD), giving Thai workers equal legal protection & job-switching rights from April 2027
Cabinet clears new Japan labour deal for Thai workers
The Cabinet has approved a draft Memorandum of Cooperation that will open the way for Thai workers to enter Japan under a new employment system designed to improve skills, strengthen worker protection and provide fairer labour rights.
Deputy government spokesperson Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn said on June 2 that the Cabinet had endorsed the draft MOC on the Employment for Skill Development programme between Thailand’s Ministry of Labour and relevant Japanese government agencies.
It also authorised the permanent secretary for labour and the director-general of the Department of Employment to sign the agreement.
The agreement is intended to support Japan’s new Employment for Skill Development, or ESD, system, which is scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027.
The new framework is part of Japan’s wider plan to reshape the way it receives foreign workers, particularly in sectors facing persistent labour shortages.
Three-year work route to higher skills
Under the proposed cooperation framework, Thai workers sent to Japan would be able to develop occupational skills through three years of work experience in the country.
The government said the system would help Thai workers build skills equivalent to Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker No 1 level, giving them a clearer route to higher-skilled employment while gaining practical experience in Japanese workplaces.
A key feature of the deal is worker protection. Thai employees under the scheme would be entitled to labour and workplace-safety protections under Japanese law on the same basis as Japanese employees, including protection from discrimination and unfair treatment.
The new system is also expected to offer more flexibility than previous schemes, allowing workers to request a transfer or change employer under prescribed conditions.
Stronger protection after criticism of old system
Japan has been preparing to replace its Technical Intern Training Programme with the new Employment for Skill Development model, which is designed to improve rights protection and create a more direct pathway towards skilled-worker status.
The shift comes as Japan relies more heavily on foreign labour to ease shortages caused by demographic decline.
The need for foreign workers has become more visible across Japan’s economy.
Japan’s foreign workforce reached 2.57 million in 2025, passing 2.5 million for the first time, while the new ESD programme is expected to cover up to 426,200 workers in its first two years.
Labour pressure has also been seen in Japan’s food-service sector, where new approvals under the Specified Skilled Worker type 1 programme were suspended in principle after the sector came close to its 50,000-worker ceiling.
The move disrupted recruitment plans at restaurant operators already struggling with staff shortages.
MOC to run for five years
Phatdarasmi said the MOC would remain in force for five years and would be renewed automatically for further five-year periods.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the document is not considered a treaty under Section 178 of the Constitution, meaning the signing can proceed without requiring parliamentary treaty approval.
The government said the agreement would help expand overseas employment opportunities for Thai workers, raise the standard of welfare and protection for Thais working in Japan, and allow them to bring newly acquired skills back to support Thailand’s development after completing the programme.
Thai authorities and the Thai embassy in Japan are also expected to work together to ensure that workers and their families can return home smoothly when the programme ends.
