More than 17,000 vacancies available

The revelation came at an event to highlight the Department of Employment’s “ไทยมีงานทำ” (“Thais have work”) mobile phone app to help job seekers find employment.

The event, held at the Phuket Vocational College, was chaired by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew and joined by a host of key tourism, hospitality and business figures, along with leading Phuket employment officials.

Among the key figures present were Rasika Channarong, Chief of the Phuket Labour Office; Thanaphong Orachon, Chief of the Phuket Labor Welfare and Protection Office; Charin Thamrongkiatkul, President of the Federation of Thai Industries; Charan Sangsan, Secretary-General of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce; and Chuenporn Kanchansaya, Secretary-General of the Federation of Thai Industries, Southern Andaman Coast branch.

Governor Narong pointed out that the recovery by Phuket’s tourism industry had resulted in mass staff shortages throughout the industry.

“Currently, about 8,000 foreign tourists travel through the airport per day, with the number of tourists expected to increase in the last months of 2022 and early 2023. In addition, the proportion of Thai tourists has increased 41.34% compared with 2019,” Governor Narong said.

Dr Krisada Tanskul, an advisor to the Thai Hotels Association Southern Thailand chapter, said the average occupancy rate at local hotels was also on the rise. In October it was 57%, November was 70% and it is expected that December will have an occupancy rate of 75-80%, Dr Krisasda noted.

“As a result, businesses have increased their employment demands. Many places have labour shortage problems, especially businesses in the hotel, tourism and service sector and other related sectors,” Governor Narong noted.

“According to a survey by the Phuket Provincial Employment Office, it was found that there were 1,423 places of employment in Phuket with 17,173 positions available. This includes the wholesale and retail business sector, followed by food and beverage, service personnel, and spa massage therapists,” he explained..

“The problem of labour shortage in the Phuket area is an important problem, and the unemployed need to train for careers that are in demand in Phuket  so that the people of Phuket can have sustainable careers to create stability and wealth for Phuket,” Governor Narong added.

Job seekers were urged to travel to Phuket to work, with the province paying a minimum daily wage rate of B354, the highest in the country alongside Chon Buri and Rayong.

“They will also receive other compensation benefits from work,” Governor Narong said.

Witthaya Ketchu, Director of Phuket Vocational College, pointed out that the college had signed many MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) with local businesses to take on graduates who had been educated and trained in line with industry needs.

“Each semester, more than 1,000 students are trained at the leading establishments in Phuket, but this is not enough to meet the needs of the establishments in Phuket,” Mr Witthaya said.

“Therefore, Phuket Vocational College has made MoUs with various provincial vocational colleges to provide opportunities for students who are ready from other provinces to come to practice vocational training in Phuket with leading enterprises. This expands opportunities for students and helps to alleviate the problem of the labour shortage,” he added.

Pichit Sing-Thongkham of the Phuket Provincial Employment Officer urged job seekers to use the “Thais have work” mobile phone app to find employment.

“Job seekers can find job information that is most suitable for themselves by matching job positions by area and where they live, as well as matching job positions based on existing knowledge, abilities and skills. And there are also services for employers who want a way to promote their vacancies,” Mr Pichit said.

In addition to using the app to find suitable job positions, job seekers could also use the app to apply for training courses to improve their skills and increase employability, Mr Pichit added.

Job seekers may also contact the Phuket Provincial Employment Office at 076-219660 ext 11-12 or call 083-6419990, he added.