The Labour Ministry will impose strict rules on hiring and registering migrant workers on popular tourist islands following the murders of two British holidaymakers on Surat Thani's Koh Tao on Sept 15.
Labour Minister Surasak Karnjanarat said the hiring of foreign workers must meet labour demands and not affect national security.
He said he plans to visit several tourist islands next month to examine registration procedures for migrant workers since hiring them to work in tourist destinations was a matter of national security and a concern regarding the safety of tourists.
Gen Surasak made his comments at a briefing for officials at the Labour Ministry, saying the ministry's main focus would be on tackling human trafficking and cracking down on extortionate fees collected from overseas workers by job brokers.
The minister also said ministry officials must steer clear of graft and shady activities, saying he knows labour officials in several provinces were acting as job brokers and demanding high brokerage fees from workers wanting to work abroad.
High brokerage fees was one of the reasons cited for placing Thailand on Tier 3, the lowest ranking in the US Trafficking in Persons report.
Meanwhile, academics have urged the military government to inject more money into the economy, especially the labour sector, to help boost investor confidence.
Setthaput Sutthiwatnareuput, of the Thailand Future Foundation, said Thailand is struggling to overcome labour problems such as workforce efficiency despite efforts by several agencies. The authorities must find a new approach to tackle labour problems.
Promoting investment could be the driving force behind the country's growth and development, he said.
Authorities should invest in labour development to increase efficiency, Mr Setthaput said.
Sirikanya Tansakul, a Thailand Future Foundation researcher, said workforce inefficiency is affecting the country's competitiveness overseas. She attributed this to poor investment. Investment by the business sector, especially in modern machinery, is badly needed, she said.
